Yousef Ali al-Kazim, Mukhtar Ali Yousef and Al-Jili Mustfa at the press conference

The Qatar Centre for Volunteer Activities (QCVA) has launched a campaign to collect used goods and send them as relief materials to the famine-hit in Somalia.
Yousef Ali al-Kazim, Secretary General of QCVA announced the drive  at a press conference held at the center headquarters in the presence of Mukhtar Ali Yousef, Counselor of political affairs and economy at the Somali Embassy and Al-Jili Mustfa, public relations and information officer at the  Doha office of Munazzamat al-Da’wa al-Islamiia , an international non-governmental religious organisation based in Sudan.
Al-Kazim said : “Our brothers in Somalia have a famine there, and they need our support. It is our duty to stand by them and the centre has decided to launch an urgent campaign to collect in-kind donations for them in co-ordination with the Somali Embassy and Munazzamat al-Da’wa al-Islamiia office in Doha.”
He stated that this was the first time the centre had undertaken such a task. The centre  has branches in all the 29  constituencies in Qatar, covering  the whole country. In addition, the centre has qualified volunteers and representatives at all these constituencies, through whom the contributions will be collected and  transported to the centre for classification. After that these will be handed over   to the Somali Embassy and Munazzamat al-Da’wa al-Islamiia office in Doha to deliver them to the famine affected in Somalia.
He urged people to give in old and used things they do not need such as cooking utensils, electric appliances, clothes, blankets, tents, generators and any other thing that can help to alleviate the sufferings of the victims. He said: “We are not collecting money, medicine or food. We require the old things that you do not need. Bring them in or call us to collect them so we can help our brothers there, who are  badly in  need of these things that are of no value to you.”
According to him, the campaign would be a huge success even if each of the 7,100 volunteers brings in at least 5 pieces.
The Somali representative said that his countrymen  are now well-acquainted with the contributions of Qatar and are grateful for this. “Qatari volunteers are now present at risky areas in Somalia to help those affected by the famine.” He also expressed his deep thanks and gratitude for what all Qatar is doing to help  the Somalis.