Lebanese NGO Donner Sang Compter (DSC), in collaboration with the International Organization Who is Hussain and the American University of Beirut Medical Center, organized several blood-donation campaigns to commemorate Ashura, which marks the tenth day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar, and the day that Hussain Ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was martyred in the Battle of Karbala.
The “Unity of Blood” program, launched by DSC, included Imams and some religious authorities, as well as local groups, NGOs and hospitals; all parties motivated people to donate blood in memory of Hussein’s sacrifice.
The major campaign took place on Tuesday, September 10th, in Haret Hreik municipality, after five blood donation campaigns were held in five other Lebanese towns: Mashghara, Abbasiya, Ghaziyeh, Basta Tahti, and Zahra Hospital. The final outcome was more than 700 units of blood donated in all these campaigns, equivalent to saving about 2,000 lives!
Along the road leading to Haret Hreik municipality, volunteers spread to familiarize pedestrians with the importance of donating blood and encouraging them to participate. Campaign banners explaining the donation mechanism and its steps were also displayed.
The number of donors in the morning seemed remarkable, and soon began to increase with the end of the march, the crowd breaking up and directing people to “give their blood to the love of Hussain.” The result was 388 units of blood in Haret Hreik alone!
It is worth mentioning that voluntary blood donation, which represents a humanitarian work per excellence, contributes to saving the lives of hundreds of patients every day.
It plays a key role in meeting the needs of hospitals for blood in a proactive manner, especially in Lebanon, where the responsibility for the provision of blood units is the responsibility of patients and their relatives.