Friday, June 08, 2007

updated news bulletin - part 12: donations


The National Committee for Civil Defense has finally opened up the door to accepting donations (from Omanis only) at the International Exhibition Centre at Seeb next to The Golden Tulip Hotel. The Ministry of Social Development shall be organizing the donations in the way it sees fit to be sent out to those in need using every means of transport available whether by land, sea or air.

The number to call for further information in this regard is: 24512111/0.

In regards to international donations, I am working on a solution with someone online here on developing a website that would accept just that, although I am not too sure if just the two of us can get it up and running considering that we both have a limited knowledge to such technicalities. But we shall attempt our best and keep you all informed all the way.

For those of you who have been worried sick about their relatives, friends and families in Sur and the Sharqiyah region, they've all been accounted for - I suggest you give them a call to let them all know how much you missed them so dearly. I know you all want to since you've been flooding my comments about who/what/hows about them. So, go right ahead - enjoy while you can, I guess. :P

Qurum has been totally destroyed and the only way I think it would ever be revived is if they broke all the commercial complexes down and built them from scratch but with better planning ahead ideas.

Three bridges have fallen down, the one that takes from Qurum to Darsait; another on the 'love road' Shatti Al Qurum; and lastly the Seeb beach road. All washed away by heavy rains.

I have a rather big rant about the amount of destruction that has happened to our beloved Oman and especially Muscat. But I am bottling it up so I can get to focus on the help efforts that we are so despretely in need of here in Oman.

We need road construction vehicles, bulldozers, fork lifters, electricity generators, batteries. Foodstuff is in shortage and clean water is in even immense shortage (for purposes to clean, cook, wash, etc.), mineral water is also in desperate need. Any sort of expertise that could present themselves to help out please do at the nearest school you can find - if it's not that one, ask where it is. Al Eiman Private School in Madinat Sultan Qaboos is helping in gathering donations for the Quriyat village. You can also volunteer at the Muscat Municipality office daily (I think) but you have to be there by 5:30-6am to register your name with them. A number of government schools and the Sultan Qaboos Sports Stadium in Bowsher is being used as a temporary shelter for those who have evacuated their homes in fear of Cyclone GONU.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

11 comments:

Twister said...

InshaAllah Oman will be back on it's feet pretty soon...I was left devastated looking at the pictures of the city that means so much to me, that was my home for 18 years, beneath layers of mud and water...

This was a test of ur resolve from Allah...stand by firm and InshaAllah he will, by his grace, make everything good again...for who can stand against nature? These are periodic reminders from Allah to mankind...for man does not get carried away, and realises that Ultimately, there's a force greater than all...the force of nature...and what can we do against nature except accepting it as the bitter truth and thanking Allah, for he has kept us safe in this event of catastrophe...

Don't lose heart brother...I was myself devastated seeing pictures of the city that means so much to me left battered and bruised...but together, we'll put it back on track again...

May Allah bestow on us the resolve to bear through this difficult time, and May Allah grant the willpower to bear through the loss suffered the relatives of those claimed by the calamity..

INNALLAHA MA'AS SAABIREEN..

Q said...

Sleepless, please do tell us if you get the website up and running! And thank you for your constant updates!!

For some reason the media isnt covering this as much as I expected at all! I tried looking up anything on elaph or aljazeera website and couldnt find anything!!

Again our prayers are with you and I am trying to link your to your website to get more people to understand the issue and hopefully if you get any updates on the donations part, please tell us so we can help spread the word!

Anonymous said...

Came over here from the Oil Drum.

Thank you Sleepless, for your posts.

Be well.

--Gaianne
USA

Amjad said...

I still can't understand why is the National Committee for Civil Defense accepting donations ONLY from Omanis. What's that? non-Omanis whom reside in Oman cannot donate?

I really don't think we are in a situation to ask 'only' certain people to donate. All Oman's residents shall be given the chance to donate if they wish to, not only the citizens.

Sleepless In Muscat said...

Twister:

I couldn't agree more. But still that doesn't mean that I should stand by and just watch. I should be making the effort to help those in need in any way I am capable. And after all that have the head of the officials who are behind the irresponsible mapping of our beloved city.

Q:

Inshallah, I will. But it's getting to be daunting task. Do you know anyone who may help us in this?

Anonymous:

Thank you for passing by the blog.

Amjad:

I couldn't understand it either. But what can I do. If you know anyone who can help us in building up an online portal to make use of international donations, please let me know then.

J said...

sleepless

Floods are generally followed by epidemies because of polluted water. Your (I mean the government's) first priority should be to warn the population not to drink unboiled water, and then provide for chlorinated water supply.

Anonymous said...

Oman's on the road to normalcy....And thats a good sign. Hope all the voluntary work and donations help. I hope the government accepts help from the expats and other coutries too.

Building a website to accept donations might be a little tricky. U will need an experts help with that i guess. It would make more sense if a bank account or something could be opened to which people can transfer money (i'm not too sure about how this works too..just a suggestion)

Sleepless In Muscat said...

J:

Although you are correct. What we are facing right now is a crisis of water supplies in the entire Muscat area even with the officials saying that they restored them - we have to see living proof of such statements.

flowerchild:

I am trying to get a hold of the bank account's number that one could send their donations to. As soon as I get it, I will publish it here on the blog.

Thank you for your concern.

Twister said...

I saw the video on Amjad's blog...and I was left with most eyes...my heart aches seeing the city that was my home for 18 years (and still is, since my family is still there even though I'm in Australia)...InshaAllah we'll bring it back up to it's glory...InshaAllah Muscat will once again be the "Jewel of the Gulf".

Sleepless In Muscat said...

Twister:

Inshallah.

Maybe this time we can also appoint a much better official in planning ahead the city's road plans.

BuJ said...

i wish i can get on that plane and help with the releif effort.. i could be stationed in oman for 12 months.. i guess u guys will need engineers.

too many restrictions for me.. uff.. i wish i was THERE with you.