The 6,000: In a single day, they all signed up to help

Muscat: Thousands of volunteers have joined hands to help Salalah recover from the aftermath of tropical storm Mekunu.

Dr. Rashid Al Hajri, Chairman of the National Youth Commission, told the Times of Oman, “The number of volunteers registered exceeded 6,000 in one day.”

The National Youth Commission, in association with the National Civil Defence Committee, would send volunteers to Dhofar to provide support, according to the relevant authority’s requirements, said Al Hajri.

Specialisation

Volunteers would be assigned tasks based on their expertise and specialisation.

Their job would be to support the administrative authorities and the Armed Forces in restoring normalcy in the affected areas.

The Oman Transport Company (Mwasalat) would provide 10 buses to take them to Dhofar, while the Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) would pay their travel expenses. Currently, efforts are still on to repair roads and restore basic services damaged by the storm.

“Some basic services such as electricity, water, transportation and roads have been damaged by floods and wadis,” said Dr. Mohammed Al Shaashai, Assistant Director-General of the General Directorate of Information in Dhofar Governorate and a member of the National Committee for Civil Defence.

“The Armed forces are now working to re-open the roads by pumping water, removing waste and re-paving the main roads that link the main areas of the governorate, in addition to all volunteers working in their field.”

“All military and civil institutions are working 24 hours a day and receive frequent reports on the damage and the needs of those in Dhofar’s wilayats. Water and electricity networks will be repaired when the water level is lower. We assure everyone that efforts are being made day and night to restore normal life and repair damage in Dhofar,” said Al Shaashai.

“Efforts cannot be limited to volunteers. Every individual in Oman has played a role in these conditions by praying, communicating and listening to instructions. I would like to thank everyone including all the volunteers. With the efforts of everyone, Dhofar will be even better than it was.”

The National Youth Commission has been in contact with the National Committee for Civil Defence and the Ministry of Social Development to organise and supervise volunteer efforts.

Al Hajri said, “A large number of volunteers demonstrated the solidarity of the youth of this country. Their strong support was not surprising.”

Three companies owned by Hatem Al Rawas also donated equipment to help reopen roads and remove damage.

Al Rawas said, “The Al Rawas Company, Treasures Company and Majan Mining Company donated all their equipment to Dhofar Municipality and Civil Defence for use in reopening roads, cleaning and distribution of food and water supplies during and after the cyclone. These initiatives are part of our national duty.”

Other humanitarian initiatives have also been launched to support the people of Dhofar. In Muscat, the Seeb Mustaad campaign has been endorsed by several members of the Majlis Al Shura to help provide support in the aftermath of Mekunu.

Shura members Hilal bin Mohammed Al Sarmi, Naama Jamil Al Busaidi and Aziz bin Salim Al Hosni are supporting the campaign.

In a tweet, Al Sarmi said, “We call on everyone to participate and contribute to this national initiative, which was adopted by the people of wilayat Seeb, and alleviate the suffering of many families in Dhofar and Al Wusta, who are bearing the consequences of the hurricane.”

He added, “All our work and proposals are coordinated by competent authorities directly and under the supervision of the Commission for Social Development in the wilayat.”

Meanwhile, tributes poured in for the bravery and efforts of the men and women who have saved lives—and are continuing to save lives—in Dhofar.

Dr. Ahmed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, said, “We thank the Almighty for His kindness and mercy. The great levels of awareness and the capabilities displayed to deal with the situation that we saw in our governorates of Dhofar and Al Wusta, alongside the integration of all State sectors, are a source of pride and appreciation.”

Thanks to the hard work and determination of the authorities and thousands of volunteers, serious disaster was averted.

Ali Al Shidhani, Director of Research Centres & ICT Research at The Research Council, said, “Praise be to God, Oman has proven that the factors to successfully overcome a crisis are clarity of the desired goal, proper planning, learning from previous experiences, maximum readiness, intensive and continuous coordination, and serious application.”

“You are the pride of the homeland, soldiers of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and, wherever you are, we are proud of you,” said Dr. Anwar Al Rawas, Associate Professor of Media and Politics at Sultan Qaboos University.

Messages came from abroad too. In a letter addressed to Oman’s Majlis Al Shura, the Arab Parliamentary Union said, “We followed with great pain the impact of the hurricane on the Sultanate and its impact on the property, and we offer you and the families of the victims sincere condolences and sympathy.”

Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal Football Club posted a message of support that read, “Praying for the safety of the people in Oman.”