Generosity of people of UAE to help add to the medical and psychological assistance provided to thousands affected by the challenging situation in West Bank and Gaza.

Dubai, 02 April, 2024: Dubai's popular supermarket chain Choithrams and 1999 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) team up to bring essential medical care to thousands of people stuck in the challenging situation in the region. From 20th March until 15th May, 2024, Choithram International Foundation will donate towards medical interventions for every purchase of Goodness Foods products marked with special stickers. The products will be available at 39 Choithrams stores in Dubai, online on Choithrams.com, and on food delivery apps.

The collaboration Choithrams and MSF will provide much-needed relief to thousands of people in distress, requiring medical support. Estimates suggest that approximately 1.7 million individuals, constituting three-quarters of Gaza's residents, are now residing in perilous and uninhabitable conditions. Furthermore, displacement of populations has burgeoned, causing alarming levels of psychological distress affecting a significant population comprising women and children among others.

L.T. Pagarani, Chairman of Choithrams Group, said, 'Providing relief through medical interventions is the most important humanitarian work we can do to stand next to those in urgent need. As we commemorate 50 years of service to the people of UAE, the 'Give Gaza Goodness' campaign in support of MSF activities gives us yet another opportunity to partner with our customers and stakeholders and make a meaningful contribution together.'

Generous donations from members of the public through the purchase of more than 100 Goodness Foods products marked with special stickers will go a long way towards bringing relief in the short and medium term. For MSF, the ability to respond quickly to medical humanitarian emergencies is crucial to saving more lives. Expanding on the remit of the support, Khalid Elsheikh, Executive Director of  MSF UAE said, 'In these challenging times, Gaza's population faces imminent risks and medical needs. We humbly appeal for the compassion and kindness of Choithrams' customers to join us in supporting this campaign. Together, let's extend our hands to provide essential medical and psychological assistance, as well as humanitarian aid, to the most vulnerable individuals in Gaza, offering them hope and relief in their time of greatest need.'

Choithrams has been supporting various projects undertaken by MSF in the Middle East and African region. In February 2020, Choithrams' support provided relief to thousands in war-affected regions of the Middle East through MSF's Antibiotic Stewardship Programme in Amman. Choithrams' Ramadan campaign in 2021 gave hope to more than 20,000 women in Malawi at the risk of cervical cancer.