Action Group – Rural Damascus
The “Karam”charitable initiative, launched through individual efforts from the Khan al-Shih Palestinian refugee camp in the Damascus countryside, has expanded to several towns in the western countryside, including Zakia, Sa’sa’, Qatana, and Kanaker. The initiative aims to collect donations to support the people of the Gaza Strip in light of the blockade and famine resulting from the ongoing war.
The initiative was launched by Karam Abdul Rahim al-Ramli, a young man from the camp, who donated all of his summer work earnings collected during his school vacation to support the people of Gaza. His act received widespread support, prompting Sheikh Abu Bakr in Khan al-Shih to transform it into a broader campaign called “Karam”, in honor of the initiator.
In the town of Zakia, the campaign was launched under the name “Karam 3”and managed to collect approximately 55 million and 432 thousand Syrian pounds, with the broad cooperation of the residents in response to a humanitarian appeal for Gaza.
In the city of Qatana, the “Karam 5”campaign witnessed significant interaction, collecting various cash and in-kind donations, including:
90 million and 600 thousand Syrian pounds, 7,974 US dollars, 190 euros, 2,220 Saudi riyals, 10 Emirati dirhams, a gold ring and earring, and a silver set.
In the town of Kanaker, the “Karam 6”campaign collected approximately 200 million Syrian pounds, 9,206 US dollars, 300 Turkish liras, 150 thousand Lebanese pounds, 10 Qatari riyals, and a gold earring.
Campaign organizers emphasized that these donations, although sometimes symbolic, express broad popular solidarity with the residents of the Gaza Strip and seek to provide a helping hand in light of the difficult humanitarian conditions.
It is worth noting that the “Karam”initiative is part of a series of popular movements organized by Palestinian refugees in Syria in solidarity with Gaza. These movements also included previous support campaigns in the Daraa camp and protests in several camps, rejecting the months-long siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.