Jordan Times
Thursday, August 3, 2006
Jordan sends 365 tonnes
of aid to Lebanon
By Mahmoud Habboush
AMMAN — More than 365 tonnes of food aid and
medical supplies left the country on Wednesday for Lebanon, in addition to four
Saudi and United Arab Emirates cargo planes.
The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) sent the bulk of the aid in a
truck convoy, while the professional associations sent two trucks loaded with
around 40 tonnes of relief supplies.
A ninth Royal Jordanian Air Force plane also took off yesterday carrying around
15 tonnes of aid.
Most of the supplies came as a result of donation campaigns carried out by
governmental and nongovernmental organisations, including the Jordan Television,
officials said.
The Jordan Armed Forces’ Crisis Management Centre oversees airlifts and relief
convoys to Lebanon, which has been under constant Israeli attack for more than
three weeks.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior yesterday urged charity organisations
involved in sending aid to co-ordinate with JHCO, according to a ministry
official.
The country’s professional associations have so far sent around 80 tonnes of
food and medical supplies to the beleaguered country.
“Most of it is material and financial donations from citizens. We also have some
committees who call factories to collect donations,” said Saleh Armouti,
president of the Jordan Bar Association.
Armouti said they were planning to send one or two truckloads of aid every week.
Since the start of the Israeli offensive against Lebanon, Jordan has served as a
regional hub for relief efforts, delivering aid to the stricken country through
airlifts and truck convoys.
Two United Arab Emirates cargo planes loaded with 40 tonnes of relief aid left
Marka Airport yesterday, followed by two Saudi aircraft carrying 40 tonnes of
supplies.
Colonel Ibrahim Abu Showeimeh, head of the Jaber border crossing with Syria,
said Jordanian and Syrian authorities have allocated a special lane for aid
trucks and given them priority to cross the busy border. Hundreds of thousands
of Lebanese have crossed from Syria to Jordan in the past three weeks.