Indonesian philanthropy organization sends aid packages to Palestine

Dompet Dhuafa is an Islamic philanthropic organization that serves to empower the poor with a cultural, compassionate (philanthropic) and a social entrepreneurial approach.

 

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – An Indonesian Islamic philanthropy organization, Dompet Dhuafa (DD), once again sent aid packages to Palestine on Thursday (Nov. 2).

In its press release made available for Indonesia Window, DD sent thousands of packages, including 1,000 baby blankets, 1,000 mattresses, and 660 adult blankets through the Disaster Management Center (DMC) team in collaboration with the Indonesian government.

The aid packages will be delivered to the Air Force warehouse on Friday, November 3, 2023.

Seeing off the humanitarian aid, Director of Dompet Dhuafa’s Social and Cultural Services, Ahmad Shonhaji, said that caring for the Palestinian people is not a new thing for DD.

Historically, in 2008 and 2009, the organization also made humanitarian efforts when Gaza was bombarded by Zionist Israel.

“Alhamdulillah (God be praised), today we are sending aid in cooperation with the Indonesian government. There are several efforts that we have made, through our (local Palestinian) health partners who have helped the community and then through the Indonesian government,” Shonhaji explained.

DD’s DMC Chief Executive, Arif Rahmadi Haryono, said that the assistance was packed together with those of humanitarian volunteers day and night, working hand in hand from one volunteer to another to get the aid into Dompet Dhuafa’s tactical fleet.

“This condition caught the attention of Dompet Dhuafa and the world that the aggression committed by Israel against Palestine this October far exceeds all the military aggression committed by Israel so far,” Arif noted.

Arif continued, Dompet Dhuafa condemned the blocking of access to fulfill the basic needs of the Palestinian people. “This is a violation of international law and it is necessary to hasten the delivery of aid and also open access to humanitarian assistance in the Gaza region,” he said.

Previously, Dompet Dhuafa distributed 125 aid packages in Jabalia Camp, Gaza. A total of 500 people were helped by this aid package program on October 10, 2023.

During an Israeli attack in early October 2023, a medical ambulance partnering with Dompet Dhuafa’s Cuma-Cuma Health Service was hit by an Israeli missile.

The front part of the ambulance was damaged so that it could not operate again. However, this did not stop Dompet Dhuafa’s local volunteer partners from giving up, as they continued to help provide services and evacuate Palestinian victims on October 22, 2023.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 8,805 Palestinians were killed, with 3,650 children, 2,252 women, and 460 elderlies.

A total of 22,240 Palestinians were injured. All of this is due to Israel’s prolonged structural occupation. Some 70 percent of the victims are children and women.

There are 1.4 million people who are internally displaced in Gaza, almost 672,000 of whom live in temporary tents, with each tent having more than tripled its capacity. This is exacerbated by the fact that there has been no electricity supply for 21 consecutive days.

More than 35,000 Palestinian homes, 246 educational facilities, 11 food stores, 21 hospitals, 28 ambulances, 20 sanitary facilities, 52 mosques, and seven churches were destroyed. Everything was reduced to rubble.

On the health front, one out of three hospitals and even two out of three medical services were shut down.

There are 1,000 kidney failure patients and 9,000 cancer patients in critical condition. Medicines are also in critical condition, with supplies running low. A total of 13 hospitals that are still operating have received orders to evacuate immediately.

Dompet Dhuafa is an Islamic philanthropic organization that serves to empower the poor with a cultural, compassionate (philanthropic) and social entrepreneurial approach.

It has been running for three decades during which Dompet Dhuafa contributes to providing services for the empowerment and development of the people through five pillar programs on education, health, economy, social disaster, da’wah (preaching) and culture, and CSR (corporate social responsibility).

Laporan: Redaksi