An Egyptian woman carries her daughter as she walks in front of the damaged facade of the National Cancer Institute, after an overnight fire from a blast, in Cairo, Egypt August 5, 2019. (Reuters)
A popular Egyptian TV show has managed to raise EGP 71 million to renovate the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Cairo, which was damaged in a terrorist bombing that took place in the vicinity on Sunday.
Twenty people were killed and 46 were injured in the bombing.
Popular TV host Amr Adeeb launched a campaign on his night talk show on MBC Masr TV channel calling for donations to repair the damage to the hospital.
Donors have included public figures such as crown prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, who donated EGP 50 million.
Other top donors include Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who donated EGP 1 million, businessman and construction tycoon Hisham Talaat Mostafa, who donated EGP 10 million, as well as companies and groups like Garhy Steel, which donated EGP 3 million.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has praised the donations campaign on his social media accounts and hailed the solidarity of the Egyptian people against terrorism.
El-Sisi also lauded "our Arab brothers and our country's people" for giving what they can "to overcome what this terrible act of terrorism has caused in ruin and destruction."
"This demonstrates a fact that is firmly rooted in our minds as Arabs and Egyptians, that we are united with all our strength in the face of terrorism and its ugliness," he added.
On Monday, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced that the explosives laden vehicle was on its way to carry out a terrorist operation, although the target of the planned attack is unclear.
The ministry said that the terrorist group Hasm, which is affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood, was behind the blast.
Egypt's Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali announced that the ministry has allocated EGP 5 million from Nasser Social Bank to contribute in the renovation of the NCI.
Al-Orman charity association , Egypt's largest charity organisation, has donated EGP 10 million.
The NCI, the country's oldest cancer educational hospital, was inaugurated in 1969 and has served millions of Egyptians either for free or for little money compared to private hospitals.
Thousands of patients from all over the country travel to the hospital for treatment.
Egypt's Arab Contractors company has announced that it has begun the process of renovating the NCI.
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