From the Heart of the Crisis: Hana’s Ground Report
Hana el Abdallaoui from Islamic Relief shares a recap of the team’s day as they continue to make a difference in Morocco. Today’s story
Islamic Relief teams are on the ground conducting rapid needs assessments. Help us respond with haste to this evolving emergency and give now
The powerful earthquake with magnitude of 6.8 struck the High Atlas region in Morocco at 11.11pm on the 8th September 2023.
Many of the dead are thought to be in remote villages in the High Atlas mountains, the epicentre of the earthquake. Residents are using whatever equipment they can find as they struggle to reach their neighbours under the rubble.
Blocked roads are preventing ambulances from reaching the wounded, and while officials are scrambling to clear debris, rescue and relief efforts are difficult amid the mountainous terrain, risk of landslides, and large distances.
The earthquake, which was felt as far away as Algeria and Portugal, also shook historic Marrakech, the nearest major city to the epicentre. Homes and other buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage Site have collapsed.
Aftershocks have left families too frightened to seek shelter, with exhausted survivors forced to sleep in the streets.
Occurring just 11 miles beneath the surface, the shallow earthquake was magnitude 6.8, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) had passed the ultimate test – he was willing to give up what he loved most for the sake of Allah (SWT). It is for this reason, we commemorate his sacrifice by offering an animal (a sheep, goat, or cow) for slaughter and sharing a portion of its meat with those in need during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah (Qurban).
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the most sacred days of the year, loved by Allah (SWT). By giving to Islamic Relief, you can reap the rewards of this blessed month and serve those in need.
Thanks to people like you, in 2022, our global family was able to reach over 4 million vulnerable people for Qurban across over 30 countries. Alhamdulillah, your donations provided a critical source of protein to vulnerable families and individuals across the globe.
Here at Islamic Relief, we ensure that only the finest quality meat is used – all sacrificed according to Prophetic tradition. We do not compromise on quality and work with local suppliers to help local economies thrive.
With your donation, this Eid al-Adha we aim to distribute protein packed Qurban packs to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, and Bangladesh; vulnerable people in war-torn Syria, Afghanistan, and Palestine; and vulnerable communities across Kenya, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan.
We prioritise widows, orphans, destitute, the elderly, people with disabilities, refugees, and disaster-affected populations, generally people who cannot afford to buy meat often, and whose diet is lacking in calories and nutrients. For many people, this is the only time they can eat meat all year round.
The Arabic words Qurban or Udhiya refer to a sacrifice done to come close to God, honouring the momentous act of submission that Prophet Ibrahim made. Every year, during Eid al-Adha, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal – typically a sheep, goat, camel, or cow – to commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim and his willingness to sacrifice what he loved most for the sake of Allah (SWT).
To ensure the funds are distributed to those in need in the regions where we work in, we do not provide the option of selecting a country. We predetermine the number of livestock for every country within each region, so that the needs of every country and the region, is served.
Qurban is obligatory upon every able adult who has wealth in excess to their needs. Normally, those who are eligible to pay Zakat should give a Qurban.
The animals used are livestock animals, such as sheep, goats, cows, or buffalo.
1 sheep or goat = 1 Qurban
1 cow or buffalo = 7 Qurbans (one Qurban –one-seventh of the animal)
Since the selection of animals depends on the availability and customs of each region, we do not provide the option of selecting your animal of choice at the time of donation. Animals are instead pre-allocated within each region. We ensure that the animals are healthy, free from blindness and chronic sickness or disease or from any apparent ailment, and that they are of a fit age.
While the price for livestock animals differs from country to country, we base our price on the average calculated of those countries’ prices within each region. This price includes all costs associated with fulfilling and distributing your Qurban.
Islamic Relief Australia recognises the various opinions in the Islamic tradition and welcomes all to fulfil this religious right in consultation with local scholars.
We do not require the names, as the practice of reciting the name upon sacrificing is logistically very difficult to fulfil due to the vast requests we receive during this season. This is like the practice of offering sacrifice while on Hajj. The scholars have approved the sacrifice without the names if the intention of the person was made. We encourage everyone to make their intention when donating their Qurban.
No, as Islamic Relief is conducting hundreds of thousands of Qurbans around the world, this is practically not possible. It is also not necessary to give the name of the person, even if you are making a Qurban on behalf of someone else. If you have made the intention that you are giving this Qurban on behalf of a certain person that should be sufficient.
We select Qurban based on a scoring system according to need. The scoring system is based on the following objective criteria: families which live on less than the minimum income for that country – 40 points; female-headed households – 20 points; families with elderly persons or people with disabilities – 10 points; children under five years old – 5 points; pregnant women or lactating mothers – 5 points; families with little or no access to the market – 5 points. It is the policy of Islamic Relief to distribute only one Qurban meat pack to each family regardless of family size.
We are not able to carry out Qurbans for specific orphans because the scale of the project would make this logistically difficult. Donors can still carry out a general Qurban through the normal channels and pay the normal price. However, orphans do represent a category of high priority in all our programs and therefore they not only benefit from donors’ sponsorship, but also from receiving other support and aid during Ramadan and Qurban.
Hana el Abdallaoui from Islamic Relief shares a recap of the team’s day as they continue to make a difference in Morocco. Today’s story
Hana el Abdallaoui, from our programmes team at Islamic Relief, shares a poignant firsthand account of the devastation she witnessed in Morocco. Her narrative