A second round of UAE aid to Lebanon

Crowds of people turned out in force at an aid collection event in Sharjah on Saturday to pack supplies for people displaced by the deadly conflict in Lebanon.

Volunteers filled the halls of Expo Centre Sharjah by early morning to pack up to 10,000 boxes of goods such as tinned food, blankets, rice, tea, dates, sugar and more.

Organisers said 3,000 volunteers came out to support the initiative and packed 250 tonnes of aid.

The community-spirited initiative, called UAE Stands With Lebanon, began at 8am and crowds of people of all ages were waiting to play their part.

The aid drive was organised under the supervision of the UAE's "International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council" by the Big Heart Foundation and the Sharjah Charity International along with other Emirati humanitarian institutions and charitable associations.

So far, the UAE Stands With Lebanon initiative has raised more than Dh110 million ($30 million) since its launch. The two-week campaign, which began on October 8 on the directive of President Sheikh Mohamed, shows solidarity with Lebanon.