National

Ex-senator Kerrow appeals for aid for victims of Gaza war

Former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow. (Photo: File)

By Yunis Dekow | Sunday, February 11, 2024

Jamia Mosque has been collecting funds to support victims of the Israel-Hamas war.

Former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow has called on Muslims to unite in providing sustained assistance to the people of Gaza.

Senator Kerrow, an executive committee member of Jamia Mosque, noted the urgency of responding to the dire circumstances Palestinians face as the war with Israel carries on.

He said at the mosque on Friday that the besieged enclave is a blessed land, citing its historical and religious importance for Muslims worldwide.

Keep reading

The mosque has been collecting funds to support victims, including near hospitals and in the south of the enclave, where ground operations have been intensifying.

The health ministry in Gaza says the massive Israeli offensive since October 7, 2023, has killed at least 28,064 people, mostly women and children, according to the AFP. About 1,139 people have been killed in Israel.

Senator Kerrow further said the war transcends borders and demands collective action.

He emphasised the moral duty to extend support, noting the Islamic teaching of aiding those in need.

"The Muslim community has exhibited more robust responses to other local disasters so we must escalate our efforts accordingly," he said at the mosque on Sunday. "Let us do the only thing we can do - increase our assistance to the people of Palestine," he said.

The latest data compiled by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Palestinian government paints a distressing picture of the impact of Israeli attacks in Gaza.

The assaults have left more than 360,000 residential units in Gaza either destroyed or damaged, surpassing half of the region's homes.

Educational infrastructure bears the brunt, with 390 facilities affected, while 13 out of 35 hospitals struggle to function partially.

The toll extends to emergency services, as 122 ambulances have been damaged. Additionally, 267 places of worship have sustained varying degrees of harm.