Giro 555 campaign day raises more than 15 million

The Giro555 campaign for the Middle East has raised more than 15.1 million euros. The final score was announced in the Sound and Vision museum in Hilversum.

Although the amount is much lower than previous campaigns for Giro555, the chairman Harm Goossens is still very happy with the money. “The amount is much higher than I could have hoped for this morning. It’s special how the Netherlands have come together, with all the difficulties in the conflict. It’s really ‘ feel that we are in a close relationship with people who really need our help.”

The exact amount raised is 15,123,219 euros. There may be more to come, as you can still donate. The money will go to victims in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Syria. A distribution key is created that determines how much money goes to each country.

At the start of the national day of activity early in the morning, the counter stood at nearly 4.4 million euros. The group noticed that mostly citizens donated money. It seemed that the business community and other groups did not do less activity this time.

The day of action was different from previous gatherings with the co-operative support groups. Because of the sensitivity of the subject, there was no full-time TV program. Many lesser known Dutch people participated and no artist performed.

Last weekend, Goossens said he was sorry that a debate had arisen about the action: “For us, there are no victims on one side or the other: it is about people. We are really there for everyone in need, no matter where you come from.”

Reporter Sander van Hoorn is standing at the North Gaza border and talks about the situation there: