Saudi Arabia: Jeddah’s Youth Come to the Rescue in Floods · Global Voices
Haifa Alrasheed

Following Jeddah's floods at the end of January, the young generation of Saudis used social media websites to help in relief operations by providing aid, shelter, food or transportation to those who got affected by the rain.
Facebook in Need!
On Facebook, more than five pages were created to spread the word and to recruit those who are interested in helping, below are some of these pages.
The page  Jeddah's Rain News and The Governmental Silence [Ar] published maps of the city, highlighting the danger zones.
The National Campaign to Help Save The City of Jeddah is keeping everybody updated by posting videos and photos from the city.
Besides, a database was created to gather information of  all those missing and in need of help. The database is visible to anyone who can provide help. The website also has a Facebook fan page, to gather as many volunteers as possible.
Twitter For Help
Moreover, Jeddah tweeps used their tweets to rescue those in need, or to spread the word under the hashtags #Jeddahrain and #Jeddahhelp.
Jeddah\'s youth trying to take out a body from under the water
@Thamer1 is looking for people with a medical background:
اي شخص لديه خبره طبية سواءً مسعف أو ممرض في إعطاء إبر تيتانوس يعطينا رد #JeddahRain #JeddahHelp
Anyone with medical experience either a doctor or a nurse who can give shots please reply.
@ateedalrai  is advising those with injuries:
#JeddahRain للجرحى من اثار المطر التوجه الى اقرب مستوصف وان صعب الحال الى اقرب صيدليه مع تطهير الجرح وعدم الانتظار .. مطهر كاليود
Those injured in the floods please head to the nearest medical center or pharmacy to get your injuries disinfected.  Don't wait you should do this ASAP. You can use a disinfectant like iodine.
Others used Twitter to call for volunteers:
@ESL4ALL
For those who want to volunteer or report a missing person or help with anything check here http://www.jeddahguide.net/ #jeddahrain
@Hussam_Albugami
نحتاج أطباء وطبيبات متخرجين وممارسين للخدمة الطبية .. عاجل جدا التواجد في مركز الحارثي للمعارض
We need doctors who have experience working in the field ASAP. Be there at Alharthy's center
Also, some tweeps started spreading emergency numbers:
@Azzahraani
#JeddahRain تم تخصيص الرقم المجاني الموحد لاستقبال اتصالات المتبرعين والمتضررين 920001424 ريتويت
Please call the free number 920001424 to volunteer or to get help. Retweet.
@Fainakcom
أرقام طلبات الإغاثة وحالات الطوارئ في الإمارة 6737000 – 6609987 – 6600880 تحويلة 240 – 242 #Jeddah #JeddahRain #JeddahHelp #انشر-تشكر
Emergency numbers for relief and rescue are 6737000 – 6609987 – 6600880, ext 240 – 242 Please spread the word.
A Twitter account was created under the name Jeddah Help @JedHelp to organize the rescue efforts.
Others Comes to Rescue
Moreover, the Jeddah Rain blog was created by i am pro to keep up with the updates from social media websites and mass media.
We Are Still Angry!
Furthermore, the number of angry voices on blogs from all over the kingdom keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Safar Bin Ayyad, who lives in Jeddah, but temporarily in Riyadh, to escape the damages from the rain writes a very outraged post:
لن أستمع لأي قرارات تصدر أو خطط أو تعديل أوضاع … كلام على ورق فقط .!
هناك رؤوس للفساد الإداري, وأبطال في السرقات ونهب المال العام ,لماذا مازالو أحرار ؟
I would not listen to any decisions made or plans or conditions improving … on paper only!
There are heads of administrative corruption and the heroes in thefts and looting of public money, why are they still free?
He also praises the young people of Jeddah:
عندما أرى شبــاب جــدة يعملون وينقذون ويجلبون التبرعات لمركز الحارثي يثلج صدري ذالك .
سقط إعلامنا ,سقطت جهاتنا الحكومية , لكن أنقذنا الله بـ شبابنا وبالشبكات الإجتماعية .
When I see Jeddah's young people working, saving and bring donations for Alharthy center, I am relieved.
Down with our media and our governmental agencies. Allah saved us, thanks to our youth and social media.
Saudi Dream described what happened as nightmare. He writes:
نعم لن ينتهي هذا الكابوس الجاثم على صدورنا..
وكيف ينتهي ولم يدان فاسدٌ واحد من رؤوس الفساد رغم دعم الملك بنفسه (كائناً من كان)؟!
وكيف ينتهي وأغلب الناس لا يدقون أبواب المسؤولين مطالبين بابتكار حلٍّ سحري للمشكلةٍ التي لم يسبق لأحد في العالم أن يجابهها؟!!
No this nightmare won't come to an end..
and how will it ever come to an end if none of the heads of corruption are convicted? Although the King himself is supporting this cause, it is as if nothing is being done.
And how can it end with most people not knocking on doors and demanding from officials magical solution for the problem which has not been confronted ever?!!
Moreover, an online form spread between tweeps, asking those who got affected to fill their information and the degree of damage to seek the truth behind what happened.
As a last word, Khalid from Twitter has a thing to say:
@alfrsani
تبا لكل من جعل مشاهد الموت عادية بالنسبة لنا #JeddahRain
Damn those who made death an ordinary scene for us.