Month-long donation drive for Gaza collects JD1 million on first day

AMMAN — The Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) launched a campaign on Tuesday to raise funds for Gazans who are in need, collecting over JD1 million on the first day. 

ACI CEO Nael Al Husami said the campaign will last for 30 days. 

“We have collected more than JD1 million since the beginning of the campaign from donors, who included businessmen,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on Tuesday. 

A committee comprising the heads of the four chambers of industry was formed to supervise the campaign, according to an ACI statement made available to The Jordan Times. 

Husami noted that all donations are officially documented by the donors through official letters or cheques. 

On the first day, the ACI donated JD100,000 for Gaza, according to the statement. 

“The campaign is open for all segments of society,” Husami said, adding that all donations will be delivered through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation. 

“Then the donations will be used to address the needs of Gazans.”

Husami said the chamber is considering a suggestion to organise a trip for Jordanian businesspeople to Gaza to find out what residents need.

The statement quoted ACI Chairman Senator Ziad Homsi as saying that the main obstacle facing shipments to Palestine is the Israeli control of crossings and the restrictions it enforces on what is allowed to enter Gaza.

Palestinian health officials say 2,139 people, most of them civilians, including more than 490 children, were killed in the enclave in an Israeli aggression that lasted over a month, according to Reuters. 

The violence in Gaza came to a halt following an open-ended ceasefire mediated by Egypt last week.