Author: Nadya Labiba

Aid agencies and medical professionals have joined forces to call for a ceasefire to allow life-saving polio vaccinations to be administered to about 640,000 children aged under 10. This follows confirmation of the first case of polio in Gaza in 25 years, with reports of other suspected cases emerging.

At least 50,000 children born during the past 10 months of hostilities are highly unlikely to have received any immunisations due to the collapsed health system. While older children among the one million children in Gaza will have had their regular vaccine schedules disrupted or halted by violence and displacement.

Polio had been eliminated in Gaza more than two decades ago, but last month the WHO reported that the virus had been found in sewage samples from sites in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah. This month, one case was confirmed by Gaza’s Ministry of Health in an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

The reemergence of the poliovirus in Gaza is a direct result of the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, and the Government of Israel’s restrictions on repairs and supplies. Coupled with overcrowding, displacement, and a crippled healthcare system, these actions have created an environment ripe for the spread of the virus in Gaza.

A group of about 20 aid agencies and 20 medical professionals who have worked in Gaza said polio vaccines are in the region and ready to be distributed in August and September. However, this requires full access for humanitarian supplies into Gaza from all border crossings, and safe, unhindered movement within the Strip. This can only be achieved with an immediate end to hostilities.

“Now polio is confirmed, the response needs to be measured in hours, not weeks. Without immediate action, an entire generation is at risk of infection, and hundreds of children face paralysis by a highly communicable disease that can be prevented with a simple vaccine,” said Jeremy Stoner, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East. “These children do not have the luxury of time.” 

Polio, a virus that can cause irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours, is particularly dangerous in Gaza, where high malnutrition rates and toxic stress levels make children more vulnerable to infection. With Ministry of Health confirmations of polio in a 10-month-old in Deir Al-Balah, and WHO reports confirming the presence of poliovirus in wastewater, the situation is beyond alarming.

Humanitarian operations across Gaza are severely hindered by the ongoing bombardment and the obstruction of critical aid supplies and fuel at Israeli-controlled crossing points, and dangerous transit inside the Gaza Strip. Specialist refrigerated trucks needed to safely transport vaccines have been repeatedly rejected from entry, leaving thousands of children at risk.

“The health system in Gaza was destroyed long ago,” said Nahed Abu Iyada, CARE West Bank and Gaza’s Health Program Field Officer. “Without an immediate ceasefire and access to vaccines and humanitarian aid across the Strip, the people of Gaza are facing a public health disaster that will spread and endanger children across the region and beyond.”

Humanitarian organisations urgently call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to allow polio vaccinations to take place in Gaza. For a polio vaccination campaign to be effective, it must be able to reach at least 95% of targeted children, and this cannot happen in an active war zone. Any ceasefire or pause requested by the UN must be used to facilitate full humanitarian access, not just for vaccines but for the full range of assistance needed to sustain civilians’ basic needs. All parties to conflict have an obligation to facilitate humanitarian access at all times, regardless of whether conflict is active or not.

Notes to Editors

The World Health Organization has confirmed the presence of poliovirus in Gaza.

Polio can cause total paralysis within hours and is especially dangerous for children under five.

Signed

• Islamic Relief Worldwide
• MedGlobal
• ActionAid
• Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
• War Child
• Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
• WeWorld
• CARE
• Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
• Humanity & Inclusion/ Handicap International (HI)
• DanChurchAid
• ChildFund Alliance
• Plan International
• Accion Contra el Hambre (ACF)
• Médicos del Mundo (Médecins du Monde Spain)
• Oxfam
• International Rescue Committee
• Mercy Corps
• Children Not Numbers NGO
• Save the Children

Doctors and medical professionals

Feroze Sidhwa, MD, MPH, FACS, FICS

Trauma, critical care, acute care, and General Surgeon

Served at European Hospital, Khan Younis, March 25 – April 8, 2024

French Camp, CA

Thaer Ahmad, MD

Emergency Medicine Physician

Served at Nasser Hospital, January 2024

John Kahler, MD, FAAP

MedGlobal Cofounder

Served in Tel al-Sultan, Rafah, Gaza, January,  March 2024

Abdullah Ghali, MD

Orthopedic Surgery Resident

European Hospital in Khan Younis, April 3 – 8, 2024

Houston, TX

Abeerah Muhammad MSN, RN, CEN

Emergency and Critical Care Nurse

European Hospital, May 2024

Yipeng Ge, MD, MPH, CCFP

Primary Care Physician and Public Health Practitioner

Tal Al Sultan Primary Health Care Center in Rafah, February 12-19, 2024

Ottawa, Canada

Benjamin Thomson, MD, MSc, MPH(c), FRCPC

Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Public Health

Multiple sites in Rafah, Deir-el-balah

March 2024

Toronto, Canada

Noor Amin, MD, CCFP(SEM), FCFP

Primary Care, Emergency and Sports Medicine physician

Al Aqsa Hospital and European Gaza Hospital April 2024

Mississauga, Canada

Ahmad Yousaf, MD

Internal Medicine/Pediatrician

Al-Aqsa Shushes Hospital, June 24- July 16, 2024

Nabeel Rana, MD

Vascular Surgeon

Served at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Deir al-Balah, June 20 – July 9, 2024

Hina Cheema, MD

Obstetrician and Gynecologist

Served in Al Emirati hospital, Rafah March 2024

Served in Nassar hospital, Khan Younis, June-July, 2024

Ahmed Ebeid

Anesthesia

Served in European General Hospital, January – February 2024

Served in Kamal Eledwan Hospital, March – April 2024

Bilal Piracha, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor Emergency Medicine

Served at Aqsa Hospital, DeirAl-Balah, March 7 -19 & July 19- 25, 2024

Served at Al Ahli Hospital (Gaza City), July 26 – August 1, 2024

Professor Nick Maynard MS, FRCS, FRCSEd

Consultant Surgeon (General and Thoracic Surgery)

Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK
Served as member of Medical Aid for Palestinians Emergency Medical teams in Gaza:

December 26, 2023 – January 8, 2024, Al Aqsa Hospital, Deir Al Balah, Gaza

April 22– May 6,  2024, Al Aqsa Hospital, Deir Albalah, Gaza

Javid Abdelmoneim FRCP, DTMH

Emergency Medicine Physician

Nasser Medical Complex, Khan Younis June – July 2024

Khaled Dawas MD, FRCS (General Surgeon)

Consultant Surgeon

University College London Hospitals

Member of Medial Aid for Palestinians Emergency Medical Teams in Gaza 2023/4

Dr. Trish Scanlan

Paediatrician  & Co-Medical Director

Children Not Numbers

Dr James Smith MBBS, MA, MSc, MSc

Emergency Physician, UK

Lecturer in Humanitarian Policy and Practice, UCL, UK

Served in Al Aqsa Hospital, December 16, 2023 – January 8, 2024

Served in Al-Mawasi, Rafah, Al-Aqsa Hospital, & supported patient evacuations ins Gaza City, North Gaza)

Alia Kattan MD

Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine

Served in European General Hospital, Gaza, April 29 – May 17, 2024

Tanya Haj-Hassan, BMBCh, MSc

Served in Gaza, March 11-25, 2024

Fatal attacks on aid workers have risen to an all-time high and are being carried out with impunity, Islamic Relief is warning ahead of World Humanitarian Day (19 August).

At least 456 aid workers have been killed in 33 countries since the beginning of 2023, with last year the deadliest on record and this year continuing at the same rate. Another 472 aid workers have been wounded or kidnapped in the same period.

New data published this week shows that fatal attacks on humanitarian workers have increased by 400% over the last 20 years – with 280 killed in 2023 compared to 56 killed in 2004. So far, in 2024, at least 176 have already been killed. The 2023 total is almost double any previous year in the last two decades.

Israeli attacks on Gaza account for more than half of the fatalities, with at least 286 aid workers – almost all Palestinian – killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023. Israel’s relentless bombing has turned Gaza into the world’s deadliest place to deliver aid, with hospitals, ambulances, schools, shelters, aid convoys, offices, and other civilian infrastructure targeted and destroyed. 

Humanitarian workers are coming under frequent attack in other countries too, with Sudan and South Sudan the next deadliest places to deliver aid. At least 37 aid workers have been killed in Sudan since war broke out there in April 2023, while dozens of staff have been assaulted and over 120 humanitarian offices and warehouses have been looted by armed groups.

With record numbers of people around the world in need of humanitarian aid, these increasing attacks on aid workers are having a chilling effect on the world’s most vulnerable people.

Attacks against humanitarian workers – and their premises and assets – violate international law. Yet we are seeing increasing disregard for these laws, and a failure to hold attackers accountable.

Islamic Relief is calling for UN member states to step up efforts to protect humanitarian workers, assets, and premises – as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 2730 which was adopted in May this year. They should also hold perpetrators to account for violations.

More must be done to protect local aid workers. Attacks on international aid workers — such as the killing of World Central Kitchen staff in Gaza in April — sometimes attract headlines and global condemnation. However, most of the aid workers killed and attacked are national staff, who get just a fraction of the attention.

An Islamic Relief aid worker in Gaza, whose name is withheld for his safety, says:

Notes

World Humanitarian Day was set up by the UN General Assembly in 2009 to recognise humanitarian workers killed around the world. It is marked every year on 19 August, the day on which 23 people were killed in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003.

Data for attacks on aid workers comes from the Aid Worker Security Database managed by Humanitarian Outcomes: https://www.aidworkersecurity.org/

The killing of 40,000 people in Gaza should be a source of eternal global shame, Islamic Relief Worldwide says.

These 40,000 people are not just numbers. They include babies, children, mothers, fathers, farmers, shopkeepers, students, teachers, journalists, doctors, aid workers, artists, entrepreneurs, grandparents and much more. Gaza’s entire society is being killed as the world watches.

There can be no justification for this massacre, which is taking place in full sight of world leaders who have repeatedly failed or refused to act. These deaths are the inevitable consequence of allowing international law to be violated with impunity. As the death toll rises above 40,000, Palestinians in Gaza do not need more hollow words from international governments – they need meaningful action. Governments must do everything in their power to pressure Israel to stop the killing, including halting arms sales, suspending trade agreements and supporting accountability.

To say there is nowhere safe in Gaza has become a startling understatement.

Civilians have become moving targets. Israel has bombed civilians in homes, schools, mosques, churches, markets, hospitals, and refugee camps. The Israeli military has ordered families to leave their homes and go to shelters, then bombed them in those shelters. Hundreds have been killed in just the past few days.

These include dozens of people torn to pieces when Israel bombed a school where hundreds of families had sought refuge. At the same time, Israel continues to block sufficient humanitarian aid from reaching people, using starvation as a weapon of war and pushing communities into famine.

40,000 people killed in just over 10 months is almost impossible to comprehend. But in reality, the death toll is likely to be even higher, with thousands of bodies still unaccounted for and many presumed to be still under the rubble. Many academics expect tens of thousands more people will die from hunger, disease, and denial of access to medical care. As needs have increased, the amount of aid allowed in by Israel has gone down.

Another 92,000 people have been wounded, many of them with permanent life-changing injuries such as loss of limbs. An incredible 1 in every 17 Palestinians in Gaza have now been killed or wounded. There is not a single person or family untouched by this horror.

It is too late for tens of thousands of people, but this killing must stop, and it must stop now.

An Islamic Relief aid worker* in Gaza searches for meaning after a deadly airstrike on a school-turned-shelter, but finds only incomprehensible horror. 

It was an extremely terrifying day. I woke up to the news that Israel had targeted a space for prayer at al-Tabeen School. (A shelter) where hundreds of displaced families have been sheltering. I instantly thought about my friends and colleagues in Islamic Relief. I started calling them. Alhamdulillah, they were all safe and sound. But they had lived through one of the worst experiences of their lives.  

“We heard a huge explosion not far from where I was staying,” one of my friends told me. “I could hear ambulances and firefighters rushing to the area. The noise continued until the sun had risen.” 

I remembered there was a hospital in the area where, before this crisis began, Islamic Relief supported services for newborn children. I asked my friend if this hospital was treating the injured from this new attack, but he said no. The only partially functioning hospital nearby is the Baptist Hospital (Al-Ahli Arab Hospital) where a huge attack in the first month of the war caused hundreds of deaths. That’s now the only place where the injured can receive any care. In fact, the people of Gaza are starting to see our healthcare centres as places that just handle dead bodies and prepare them for burials. North Gaza’s health sector is turning into a funeral home due to the lack of medicine, disposables and equipment.  

My friend told me that he had to have surgery to remove a bladder stone but couldn’t find anywhere in North Gaza still equipped to do the surgery. He had to undergo temporary bypass surgery just to help his bladder function properly, but he told me he’s in pain whenever he moves, walks or climbs the stairs. He has to endure because he has no other option.  

A sad morning, the smell of death everywhere 

After a while, I ended the call with my friend and went back to the news. Videos started appearing showing terrible scenes – tens of dead bodies; men, women and children. They had all been preparing to perform Al Fajr prayer. Some had finished their ablutions, some had just said Allahu Akbar, some might have just finished reading Al Fateha. It is beyond comprehension that their lives would end this way.  

“It is a sad morning in the city. The smell of death is everywhere,” another colleague from my team told me. “We used to deliver hot meals to that place every day. It was home to hundreds of displaced families. Any one of our teammates could have been among those who passed away.” 

An even more terrorising situation

Yes, at this stage of the war, the situation is even more terrorising than in the first few days. An airstrike can hit anywhere. Just a couple of days ago, my wife and kids went to visit my in-laws who have moved for the fourth time and are now closer to us. Just after they arrived, an airstrike hit nearby. Rubble was falling everywhere. One of the doors in the house where they’re staying blew open due to the blast. My wife and kids could have so easily been in the street. I might have lost them.  

Every day I go to work thinking an airstrike could hit nearby. I went to meet with displaced families at one of the schools that have been turned into shelters and I was so afraid that something would happen while I was there, especially as targeting schools is the norm these days. I can’t imagine why on Earth a school, mosque or hospital could be seen as a target. In the last week, at least 5 schools were destroyed in Gaza. I can’t bear to think about the future of the children who study in those schools. Where will they get their education after the war? 

Tired of being slaughtered 

After the attack on Saturday, healthcare workers couldn’t distinguish between the remains of the dead. The bombing produces tremendous heat that melts bodies. All hospital staff could do was put the remains in plastic bags. Families looking for their loved ones were given a 70kg bag of flesh if the missing person was an adult and an 18kg bag if they were a child. Families took these remains to the cemetery and buried it with a name on the gravestone.  

When I think about what is happening to us, the Palestinian people, I can’t comprehend it properly. We are now subjected to all kinds of torture, agony, deprivation and targeting. I can’t think of any nation in the world that has suffered like us. 

This is beyond humanity. This is something not even the darkest horror movie director could have thought of. The world that is watching is not human anymore. I’ve lost the belief that I can be normal after this. I’ve lost faith in the world. I write my words and erase them. (Nor can’t I) come up with a sentence to properly describe how I feel. I just want this madness to stop because we are tired of being slaughtered. We are being annihilated and the world is watching without doing anything. This is crazy. The consciousness of the world is dead. 

*This blog is anonymised to protect the safety and security of our colleague and others mentioned. Read the other blogs in this series here.  

Editor’s note: This blog was submitted amid a fast-changing and deepening crisis. The information was correct as of Monday 12 August.  

Afghanistan, three years after the change in power. Millions of Afghans continue to struggle in one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises.

Heavily dependent on humanitarian aid, Afghans are trapped in cycles of poverty, displacement, and despair. Afghanistan is at risk of becoming a forgotten crisis without sustained support and engagement from the international community.

This warning comes from Action Against Hunger (ACF), alongside CARE International (CARE), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), INTERSOS, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), People in Need (PiN), Save the Children International, and World Vision International (WVI).

Afghanistan is experiencing shock after shock.

The ongoing economic crisis, the legacy of decades of conflict, the impacts of climate change, and the gender crisis have taken a devastating toll on the country.

Despite the improvements in the country’s overall security situation, which has facilitated access to many new regions that were previously unreachable, there are still myriad of challenges. Ones that hinder us from reaching all those in need effectively.

The Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) 2024 shows that an estimated 23.7 million people need humanitarian assistance. Among them, 52% are children and 25% are women. Food insecurity is rampant. Around 6.3 million people remain displaced within the country, and unemployment has doubled compared to the past year.

Though humanitarian aid has been a lifeline to Afghan communities, the humanitarian funding appeal for 2024 has received only 25% of the requested funds as of 13 August 2024. Shrinking humanitarian funding is adversely impacting people’s daily lives.

A lack of funding for medium and longer-term programming has only heightened underlying vulnerabilities, adding to the humanitarian burden.

Already, this year, 343 mobile health teams have shut down, which equals 52% of all mobile health teams. This has had a significant impact on the health and nutrition response. Where populations are not able to access essential lifesaving services.

12.4 million people face acute food insecurity. And it is only expected to worsen, which could leave over half a million malnourished children deprived of lifesaving nutrition. Mothers are also disproportionately affected. Typically, they are the last to eat and eat the least.

Families, especially women-headed households, are being forced to make agonising decisions to survive. This includes relocating their families within the country, often joining informal settlements, making treacherous journeys across borders, and sending children to work.

The growing humanitarian financing gap, combined with the discontinuation of development assistance since August 2021, is pushing the country and its people into deeper poverty and vulnerability.

Signatories to this statement underscore that the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan cannot be addressed with humanitarian assistance alone. We need a comprehensive, sustained, and contextualised response from the international community.

Afghanistan desperately needs long-term development assistance to address the root causes of poverty.

Diplomatic engagement is crucial to creating an enabling environment in Afghanistan that will support upscaling international aid efforts. Efforts that should include development projects alongside emergency assistance.

The current isolationist approach of most donor countries does not support durable solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan. This is especially true for children, women, ethnic and other marginalised groups.

To achieve a long-term solution to Afghanistan’s crisis requires ongoing cooperation between humanitarian and development actors. This includes local organisations, with the UN-led coordination system to ensure collective, principled, and strategic engagement with the de facto authorities (DfAs) to address operational challenges.

Some of the most common challenges include a range of bureaucratic and administrative impediments, challenges to transferring funds to Afghanistan, facilitating timely response to crises, and conducting crucial advocacy in compliance with international human rights standards.

Humanitarian actors in Afghanistan assess that inaction from the international community is costing the most vulnerable Afghans dearly. Without rapid efforts to increase diplomatic engagement and longer-term sustainable funding, Afghans, especially women and girls, will be left to suffer for years to come. Poverty is nearly universal. Humanitarian needs are rising due to the ever-growing economic crisis, the impacts of climate change, the gender crisis, and diminishing aid.

We call on the international community to…

Increase humanitarian and diplomatic engagement with the DfA

To improve our ability to reach all people in need, and provide aid effectively, efficiently, and equitably. To push the DfA to adhere to international human rights standards, including their obligations towards all genders of the population.

We need long-term relationship building and continuous engagement with the DfA. Collaborations that are underpinned by expertise in humanitarian access negotiations and policy dialogue is increasingly important if Afghanistan’s most fundamental challenges are to be addressed.

Bolster the return of development and longer-term programming

To avoid the country falling into deeper poverty and isolation, donors must bolster the return of development and longer-term programming. As well as funding to build resilient communities that are less dependent on aid.

This should include investments in gender-responsive/transformative agriculture, climate change adaptation, market-based approaches for food value chains, access to financial services for smallholder farmers, and women-led micro and small businesses.

Humanitarian partners are increasingly stepping up to deliver principled and impactful durable solutions programming in Afghanistan. There are tangible opportunities to scale up and broaden best practices.

The protection and safeguarding of the humanitarian space.

This should remain a critical priority for ensuring a needs-based and principled humanitarian response in the country. Humanitarian partners over the years have delivered assistance to affected communities in line with humanitarian principles. We urge the international community for its continued support.

The international community should seek cooperation from the DfA.

These include on issues of mutual interest, such as economic development, while keeping up key demands. Such demands include lifting bureaucratic and administrative impediments (BAIs) and granting unimpeded humanitarian access across the country.

Fully fund the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP).

Critical humanitarian funding should be sustained. There should be an increase in the volume and quality of funding to Afghan civil society organisations, especially Women-Led and Women Rights Organisations (WLOs/WROs) and organisations of persons with disabilities. This is so that partners have access to quality funding and humanitarian organisations can support the most vulnerable and marginalised people.

The continuation of gender-responsive multi-sectoral programming should be supported.

We need to ensure all humanitarian and long-term programs include a strong gender perspective and address the specific needs and rights of women and girls. To continue with both gender-responsive sectoral approaches as well as specialised services, humanitarian partners need flexible funding, so the most vulnerable groups continue receiving much-needed services.

Facilitate transactions into and within Afghanistan

Donor governments should continue to reassure financial service providers that they are able to facilitate transactions into and within Afghanistan, increasing private and public confidence in doing business in Afghanistan. This will ease the current impediments to the transfer of funds into the country.

Notes to editors

Afghanistan suffers from extreme weather events and environmental disasters. Most recently, in July 2024 severe floods impacted 29 districts across Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Nuristan, damaging homes, crops, and infrastructure and affecting 1,925 families (OCHA). A 6.3 magnitude earthquake affected the Herat in October 2023, impacting 2.2 million people, and damaging over 47,000 homes (OCHA).

There are an estimated 23.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan in 2024. Despite the severity of needs, only 25 per cent of the USD 3.06 billion required for the humanitarian response has been funded so far this year.

By June 2024, there are 6.3 million protracted Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Approximately 680,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan since September 2023. They predominantly entered the country at the Torkham border crossing (IOM).

Afghanistan registers marginal improvement despite climatic shocks and high food prices, pushing 14.2 million people into high levels of food insecurity. (IPC Analysis May-October 2024)

Islamic Relief is horrified at the massacre of dozens of civilians at one of the school shelters where we have been distributing daily hot meals to displaced families.  

The Devastation of the Assault

The attack at al-Tabeen school in Gaza City on August 10th, 2024 has been the deadliest on a school shelter yet. Witnesses report 80-100 people killed and many more injured.

During the assault, Israeli missiles tore through the school’s classrooms and prayer room during dawn Fajr prayers. Around 2,000 young children, women, and men had been sheltering at the school. Forcibly displaced after the Israeli military ordered them to leave their homes.

The nearest hospital is overwhelmed with casualties. Many are badly burnt or bleeding severely from shrapnel wounds. Worse still, the hospital does not have the medical supplies to treat them all. 

Another Shelter Bombed in Gaza

We are horrified, but, sadly, we are no longer shocked by such massacres. Israel continues to bomb people’s shelters almost daily. All with complete impunity and disregard for international law. 85% of all schools in Gaza (477 out of 564) have now been damaged by bombing.

The school is one of many across Gaza where Islamic Relief and partner agencies have been providing daily cooked meals to families. These meals are often the only ones they get to eat each day, as famine conditions and starvation have spread.

Islamic Relief has also conducted psychosocial activities such as games and entertainment for displaced children at the school. No Islamic Relief staff or partners were present at the time of the bombing.

No Safe Place in Gaza

This latest massacre brings the death toll in Gaza to almost 40,000 Palestinians, with around 92,000 injured. An astounding 1 in every 17 people in Gaza has now been killed or wounded. This is in just over 10 months. And every single person in Gaza is affected.

Tens of thousands more people have been ordered to move yet again over the past few days. The Israeli military is herding people into small areas that are now extremely overcrowded and rife with starvation and disease. Many families have now been displaced 9 or 10 times over the past 10 months and the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza has reduced to little more than a trickle.

The international community has completely failed the people of Gaza. World leaders must use all the pressure they can to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.

We are appalled at yet another deadly massacre at a school in central Gaza where desperate families have been ordered to shelter.   

Reports indicate that at least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured at the school in Deir al Balah, with infant children among the dead and hospitals swamped with casualties. Such atrocities against civilians have become almost daily occurrences in Gaza.  

Israel’s policy of constantly forcing civilians to move from one place to another, and then attacking the schools and camps where they are told to go, is inhumane and causing unprecedented death and trauma. It is making the humanitarian crisis even more catastrophic by the day. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to move time and again over the past few weeks, with many families now displaced 9 or 10 times since the crisis escalated.  

Around 83% of Gaza is now subject to Israeli so-called ‘evacuation orders’ or no-go military zones. Over 2 million people have been forced into ever smaller areas where they cannot access food, clean water or sanitation, and where they face the constant threat of further attack.  

International governments must demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the constant forced displacement and attacks on fleeing civilians, and ensure accountability for such actions.  

Today, we received extremely sad news from our orphan sponsorship team. Mohammad Bhar, the young man in Gaza, who was recently killed by Israeli military dogs, was one of the orphans in the care of Islamic Relief. 

As it turns out, Mohammed has been part of our orphan sponsorship program since he was young.

On behalf, and along with the entire Islamic Relief family, I am utterly heartbroken. We are appalled at the horrific nature of his killing, which is shocking even amidst the daily atrocities in Gaza.

We are calling for an independent international investigation into his death, and for all responsible to be held accountable.  

Mohammad, 24, was killed during Israel’s recent attack on the Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City, where he and his family lived. 

His mother, Nabila, told Islamic Relief that Israeli soldiers forced their way into the family’s home.

Mohammed had Down syndrome and autism. He barely spoke. But when the military dog started mauling a terrified Mohammad, tearing at his body, he screamed in agony and pleaded for the attack to stop. 

With Mohammad severely bleeding, the Israeli soldiers moved him to another room on his own. Despite the fact that his illness meant that his family was usually with him for support at all times. 

The soldiers refused to allow Mohammad’s mother or sister to enter the room to comfort him or bring him water. Shortly afterwards, they forced them to leave the house at gunpoint while he was still alive. 

Mohammad was left alone in the dark room, critically wounded, scared and thirsty, until he died. 

His body was only recovered a week later. When the Israeli military withdrew, allowing his family and neighbours to rush to the house to find his remains.  

There are no words that convey our shock, sadness, and how appalled we are. 

We complain to Allah, and say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon. 

After so many months of atrocities, it is hard to be shocked any more by news from Gaza. But the killing of Mohammad reached new depths of horror. One that has left everyone at Islamic Relief utterly heartbroken. 

We can only imagine the fear and panic that Mohammad must have felt as he died. Alone, wounded and without his family beside him. All our prayers are with Mohammad’s family and friends.

There must be accountability for such acts. There must be an immediate ceasefire to finally bring the massacre in Gaza to an end.

An Islamic Relief staff member in Gaza recalls: “Mohammad was a familiar face in the neighbourhood, known for his kind smile and helpful nature. He was suffering from Down’s syndrome and autism and had special needs all his life, so his mother took care of every detail of his life, from feeding him to dressing him.” 

Mohammad’s father died when Mohammad was just 2 years old. Since then, he and his mother have received support through Islamic Relief’s orphan sponsorship program for over 20 years.

During Israel’s attacks over the past 9 months, the family has been forcibly displaced from their home multiple times, like most families in Gaza.  

The orphan sponsorship program provides regular cash payments to help vulnerable families pay for healthcare, education, shelter and other essentials.

Islamic Relief currently sponsors 15,700 orphaned children and youth in Gaza. Sponsorship begins when children are under 18 years old. However, they can be continued later while they remain in school or if they are particularly vulnerable, as in the case of Mohammed.

At least 117 children and young people cared for by our Orphan Sponsorship Program are known to have been killed during Israel’s attack on Gaza over the past 9 months.

We ask Allah (SWT) to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s children, orphans, and people more generally. Ya rabb, lift this barbarity, and replace it with victory and peace for our people. 

—Samir Bennegadi, Islamic Relief Australia CEO

Today’s International Court of Justice ruling that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful sends a clear message that the occupation must end. No state must be above international law, and we hope this landmark ruling will be a step towards ending injustice and fulfilling the inalienable rights of Palestinians.

The Israeli occupation denies Palestinians their fundamental human rights, undermines their dignity and entrenches discrimination and poverty. Israel’s massive expansion of settlements and associated infrastructure in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has confiscated land and restricted access to markets, farms and essential services. The occupation separates families and loved ones, cuts off Gaza from the West Bank, and impedes the hopes and dreams of future generations.

We call on all international governments to heed the ICJ’s ruling and use their political, diplomatic and financial leverage to pressure Israel to end its occupation. This includes halting arms sales that could be used in violation of international law, legislating to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and suspending partnership agreements.

Ultimately, Islamic Relief wants to see a lasting peace where all Palestinians and Israelis can live in safety and dignity, and have their same fundamental rights upheld and protected. We believe this will not be possible until there is an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

With the new Hijri year well and truly underway, many exciting, spiritual events await us in the coming months. But exactly what role does the Islamic Calendar have in our lives?  

The Hijri calendar marks the dates of significant religious events. It helps Muslims observe fasting Ramadan, the Eid days (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) and the period for Hajj in Dhul Hijjah – just to name a few.  

In other words, the Islamic Hijri calendar is a valuable tool. One that can help us fulfil our religious obligations, including the pillars of Islam. 

What is the Islamic Calendar?

The Islamic calendar is also known as the ‘Hijri’ calendar. This is because it starts from the year the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) made Hijrah (migration) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 AD, due to persecution by the Quraysh.  

Currently, in 2024, we are in 1446 AH. AH stands for ‘After Hijrah’. In Latin, AH denotes ‘Anno Hegirae’ which means ‘the year of the Hijrah’. 

When was the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar Created?

The Hijri Calendar wasn’t established until after the passing of the Prophet (ﷺ). It was formalised during the time of the second rightly guided Caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) as they needed a clear system to identify and document important dates.

However, the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions (sahabah), among whom included Umar (RA), still observed the same twelve lunar months used in the Islamic Calendar.  

The months of Muharram, Safar, Rabi ‘al-Awwal, Rabi ‘al-Thani, Jumada Awwal, Jumada Thani, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qadah and Dhul Hijjah existed well before the establishment of Islam as a religion. The Qur’an also reference the twelve months in Surah At-Tawbah: 

The Making of the Hijri Calendar

Before the Hijri Calendar, dates would be recorded only using the lunar months without indicating the year itself. This method of recording dates continued until Umar (RA) received a letter from the governor of Basra, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (RA) who questioned the difficulty they had in identifying the exact dates.  

At this, Umar (RA) saw the need to establish a proper dating system. He quickly assembled important and senior figures within the community, including other companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), to establish a formal calendar for the Muslims to use.

How did they choose the year to start the calendar?   

The decision to start the Islamic Calendar from the year of Hijrah was unanimous, but it came after lengthy discussions.

Some council participants suggested adopting various existing calendar models, such as the Roman and Persian calendars. However, Umar (RA) disliked the idea.

Other suggestions included the descent of the first revelation (Nuzul Al-Qur’an), the Prophet (ﷺ)’s birth and his departure. All significant events, however, none of these suggestions were viable.

The exact year of the first revelation was contested among the companions. So was the exact year of the birth of the Prophet (ﷺ).

As for the departure of the Prophet (ﷺ) from this world, it was one of the saddest moments in history for Muslims. They didn’t want to associate the start of the new calendar with renewed grief.

Eventually, there was a suggestion for the calendar to start from the year of Hijrah. Umar, and subsequently, the council, voted in favour of this idea as the time the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions arrived in Madinah after migrating from Makkah had a clear date.

How was Muharram Chosen as the First Month? 

How does the Islamic Calendar work?   

The Islamic calendar follows the movements of the moon – the lunar cycle. That means the placement of each month differs from year to year. Generally, it will move back by about 10 to 11 days on the Western calendar.  

The conventional Gregorian Calendar has 365 or 366 days a year. In turn, each month is around 30 to 31 days. However, a Hijri year only has 354-355 days. This is because each lunar cycle usually lasts 29 or 30 days.

These cycles are described by Allah (SWT) in Surah Yunus:  

The Islamic Months

The Hijri calendar is made up of 12 months. Every month is determined by observing the moon.  

If the new crescent moon is spotted on the twenty-ninth day, then the new month begins on the next day. If the crescent is not spotted, then the new month starts after the thirtieth day.  

The name of each month in the calendar has a particular meaning. Some months reference different seasons or significant events that took place in history.  

Muharram 

This is the first month in the Hijri calendar. Its name means ‘forbidden’. This month came about to prevent the Arabs from fighting.  

‘Ashura also takes place on the 10th day of this month. This day commemorates many significant events in Islamic history, including the day Allah (SWT) saved Musa (AS) and Bani Israil from Fir’aun and his army.

Safar 

The meaning of the second month’s name is ’empty’. This is because, in pre-Islamic times, people from Makkah used to leave their homes in search of food during this month.

Rabi al-Awwal 

The word Rabi means ‘spring’. Al-Awwal means ‘the first’. Together, this month means ‘the first spring’. 

Rabi al-Thani 

The name of this month means ‘the second spring’. It is also sometimes referred to as Rabi al-Akhirah or ‘the last spring’ because it marks the end of the Spring season. 

Jumada al-Awwal 

The word Jumada means ‘dry/parched’. In pre-Islamic times, the land tended to be very dry during this month, either due to intense heat or sources of water being frozen due to cold temperatures. 

Jumada al-Thani 

The first part of this month’s name has the same meaning as the previous month. However, as it marks the end of the land being dry, it is sometimes called ‘Jumada al-Akhirah’ which means ‘the end of the dry season’. 

Rajab 

This month is derived from the word ‘Rajaba’, which means ‘respect.’ Isra and Mi’raj, the “Night Journey” took place on the 27th of the month.  

Isra and Miraj was a miraculous event where the Prophet (ﷺ) travelled from Makkah to Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem before ascending to heaven, all in one night.  

Sha’ban 

This month means ‘scattered’. This was because it would mark the time of year when Arab tribes would disperse to find water and new pastures. 

Ramadan 

The name of this month derives from the root word ‘Ramad’ which means ‘burning’. It references the scorching heat that characterised this month. 

Ramadan is an important month in Islam as it is when Muslims observe sawm (obligatory fasting). It is also an extremely blessed month. One has more opportunities to do good deeds, as Allah SWT has locked all the devils up (Bukhari and Muslim).

We also get more rewards for righteous deeds in Ramadan, especially on the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr), which is better than a thousand months (Quran 97:3).

Shawwal 

The name of this month means to carry or lift because during this time, female camels would carry a new camel fetus, and would produce less milk as a result. 

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first of this month, marking the end of the fasting month (Ramadan). It is a day of celebration, exchanging gifts and spending time with loved ones.  

Dhul Qidah 

The name of this month literally translates to “the one of sitting/truce” because all fighting ceased during this month. 

Dhul Hijjah 

This month is called ‘the one of pilgrimage’ because it is the month in which Hajj is performed. The first 10 days of this month are also extremely blessed, especially the day of Arafah.

Eid al-Adha also falls on the blessed 10 days, on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. Similar to Eid al-Fitr, it is also a day when Muslims gather to spend time and enjoy festivities with loved ones.  

This celebration also commemorates the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) through Qurban. Qurban is an act of worship that involves slaughtering a sacrificial animal for the sake of God.

Du’a for the New Year and Months

The Sahabah or companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) would say the following du’a when a new month or new year would begin: 

May this year bring with it many blessings and benefits. And may we get even closer to Allah (SWT) this year, ameen!