KHABURAH: Oman will witness a historic moment today as the people of the Sultanate has taken up the massive voluntary campaign to support citizens and residents of wilayats of Al Khaburah and Al Suwaiq — the two places ravaged by a powerful cyclone that claimed 12 lives, besides causing large-scale destruction.

Thousands of volunteers signed up with the relief and shelter sector are going to support the national campaign along side the National Committee for Emergency Management (NCEM) in a bid to restore life back to normal for people living in North Al Batinah. The campaign also supports the efforts of the Ministerial Committee, which was formed based on the orders of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to assess the damage caused by tropical cyclone Shaheen.

Meanwhile, volunteers have started flocking to North Al Batinah from Friday morning.

“It’s time for us to stand together for Oman,” said Mohammed Al Alawi, a 23-year-old, who came from his hometown in Seeb all the way to Al Khaburah.

“We are inspired by the responses from across Oman. People from far away places offered their services to join cleaning operations in North Al Batinah,” said Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Riyami, Assistant Coordinator at the Relief and Shelter Sector.

The voluntary campaign will work through seven sectors in each of the two states to provide a number of services, including public hygiene, distribution of needs and supplies, and support to the concerned authorities in providing basic services. “We have planned well and divided the teams to make sure the work is done diligently,” Al Riyami added.

Cyclone Shaheen packing strong winds and rains barreled into coastal areas including Khaburah, Suwaiq, Saham and Musannah last week as thousands of people were evacuated to shelters.