Tag: Emergency

For many of us in Australia, the winter months are a time when we enjoy the colder weather after a hot summer.

But in the northern hemisphere, there are millions of others within the Middle East, Europe and Asia that face much harsher winter weather than the cool breezes here. For them, winter means ice and snowstorms and, what’s worse, most of them live far below the poverty line.

In Syria especially, the incoming winter season is anticipated to be one of their harshest. Catastrophic fuel and electricity shortages have left approximately 6 million people in need requiring winter assistance – a 33 per cent increase compared to last year.

The spiralling crisis in Syria made worse by harsh winters

This year, the coping capacity of Syrians has been further undermined by the continued deterioration of the socioeconomic situation within the nation. Its vulnerable population faces depleting devaluation of the Syrian Pound, an energy crisis that has led to severe rationing of electricity supply, fuel shortages, high fuel prices and increased costs of other essential commodities.

These resource shortages cascade across all essential programs across the region, with vulnerable Syrian families forgoing education, health, nutrition and protection for the sake of survival. And, as the dropping temperatures signal the coming of winter, Syrians across the country brace for further disaster and hardship.

Communities residing in high-altitude areas such as Bloudan, Qalamoun and Zabadani areas in Rural Damascus and Al Haffa and Jafra near Lattakia, especially, are most susceptible to the effects of harsh winters. These vulnerable communities, unable to weather the freezing temperatures, are often displaced and reside in camps and temporary settlements. With major roads also blocked, constricting access to basic services and access to timely and sufficient lifesaving medical supplies, these displaced communities face a greater risk of not surviving through the winter season.  

Humanitarian organisations are mobilising resources to assist Syria

The international humanitarian community is working on the ground to provide life-saving and life-sustaining assistance in the areas of highest need in Syria. This includes the rapid provision of winter response packages of relief items and services and ensuring protection concerns resulting from the winter season are mitigated and addressed.

Yet, more needs to be done as a funding shortfall is being felt across all sectors. The shelter, food security and agriculture sectors, in particular, have a funding gap in winterisation assistance. Severe fuel and electricity shortages have also made it very hard for families to keep warm this winter, even in camps, where families, mostly women and children, limited or no access to heating and electricity. 

Families at these camps, and across the country, also lack access to water or sewage disposal. Without clean water in several areas, cholera has recently surfaced and is spreading rapidly. There have been at least 24,000 suspected cases and at least 80 people have died from the waterborne disease. 

The United Nations has appealed for more humanitarian aid to needy Syrians

The UN says 14.6 million Syrians need humanitarian assistance – more than at any other time in its 11 years of civil war. At least 12 million people are food insecure and malnutrition is on the rise due to the spiralling economic crisis. Drought conditions also have led to the poorest wheat harvest since the war’s start. And 90% of the population also live below the poverty line. 

“We are just weeks away from another winter in Syria, and a painfully familiar scenario will soon unfold again,” says Reena Ghelani, U.N. Humanitarian Director of Operations and Advocacy. “Snowstorms, subzero temperatures, strong winds, rains and flooding are expected to hit soon.”

“This year, the number of people who need winterization assistance has increased by a staggering 30% across the country compared to the previous year. In the northwest, some 2 million people depend on winter assistance to meet their most basic needs.”

Keep vulnerable Syrians warm this winter

In last year’s winter appeal, Islamic Relief Australia offered assistance to over 450,000 people in 15 countries, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, and Yemen.

Imagine the fear and feeling of helplessness that would grip you as a harsh winter takes your family members and friends and leaves you all stranded. Through the cold, your donation can help make a difference in the lives of vulnerable people in countries like Syria. 

Donations will go to blankets and mattresses for those who need them most, winter clothes to stay warm and along with other heating items. Your donation could help families, old and young get through the cold with continued support and protection.

More than 37 million people are facing worsening acute hunger as populations in the Horn of Africa are only marginally able to meet minimum food needs.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale, tens of millions within the region, including approximately seven million children under the age of five, are in crisis, facing severe magnitudes of food insecurity and acute malnutrition, with numbers growing at an alarming rate.

A region dangerously close to famine

Rising conflict, climate extremes, economic instability aggravated by the lingering impacts of COVID-19 and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine are among the key drivers for food insecurity in the Horn of Africa. But the worst and longest drought in decades has brought the region’s hunger crisis even closer to the brink of famine.

With the region having barely seen a drop of rain since 2020 and a predicted fifth failed rainy season in a row on the horizon, water scarcity from the worsening drought has led to poor harvests and livestock deaths. These failing harvests and dying livestock, as the main source of people’s livelihood, have left food prices spiralling out of control and vulnerable populations, especially women and children, at increased risk of resource-based and intercommunal conflict.

Populations are struggling to access basic needs

The severe food insecurity has caused hundreds of thousands of people, especially from the worst drought-hit communities in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, to migrate in search of sustenance, walking long distances in scorching summer heat. Starving and vulnerable families are trying to reach camps that are already struggling to distribute adequate food and other resources, all while losing their young children and elderly to hunger and thirst on these journeys.

This large-scale displacement has also been accompanied by a deterioration in hygiene and sanitation. Even in camps, families struggle with a shortage of facilities to keep clean. Medical supplies are also scarce, leaving healthcare centres overwhelmed by severely malnourished children with medical complications and rising outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera, measles, and malaria.

But as malnutrition and displacement in the Horn of Africa only increase, populations will become weaker and more vulnerable to disease, especially children, for whom the combination of malnutrition and disease can prove fatal. People are in desperate need of food security, to prevent the current crisis from forcing them to choose between their basic needs.

Humanitarian action is critical to preventing starvation and death

The United Nations is calling for urgent and targeted humanitarian action from our governments and the international community to prevent the food crisis in the Horn of Africa from turning into a health crisis. 

While short-term relief is needed to save lives, protecting people’s livelihoods and restoring their dignity are also required to prevent famine in the region, especially as worse crises are predicted to hit the Horn of Africa in the future. Without an adequate humanitarian response, morbidity and mortality will continue to increase within the region, as emergency conditions force people to modify their health-seeking behaviour and prioritise access to life-saving resources such as food and water.

Islamic Relief is responding to the hunger crisis

So far, we have helped more than 167,000 people across the Horn of Africa, but much more is needed. We are providing people with vital food, clean water, cash and medical supplies. We are making sure camps have adequate shelter, food and water storage and trained medical staff to allow populations to not make the impossible choice between sustenance and healthcare.

Thanks to the generosity and kindness of our supporters, Islamic Relief Australia have been able to help some of the most vulnerable people at this critical time, but the response needs to be scaled up. We need to deliver more aid and sustainable solutions to ensure the population is prepared for future climate-induced disasters and crises. The world must not wait for famine to be declared before helping people who are starving right now.

Recent food security analyses from Somalia must be the final wake-up call to the international community to act now and stop Somalia from falling into famine.

Hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk unless more aid urgently reaches people on the ground in Somalia. The analyses observe that people are already starving and, with famine likely just weeks away in some parts of the country, waiting until a formal famine declaration would be a shameful delay.

Somalia is already too close to the brink of famine

More than 260,000 people died in the 2011 famine in the region, and about half of them had already died by the time the crisis had been officially declared a famine. In 2022, as four consecutive failed rainy seasons have brought Somalia its worst drought in 40 years, crops and cattle have perished, ruining millions of livelihoods as families are left malnourished and dying from hunger.

Due to the impending famine, more than 1 million Somalis – 66% of whom are children – are forced to flee from their homes in a desperate search for food and water, with thousands more being uprooted every single day.

These displaced families walk long distances in scorching summer heat in hopes of finding aid and are forced to witness their young children, elderly and other vulnerable family members die along the way.

Yet the international response has been, and still is, far too slow.

Now is the time for the international community to take action

Waseem Ahmad, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, says: “There is a clear choice – act now to get more aid on the ground and save lives, or many people will die. Today’s stark figures must galvanise donors into action. Without an urgent scale up of aid, hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk.

“The world must not wait for famine to be declared, we must do everything we can to prevent it. Aid workers and families in Somalia already know that people are starving, with children and the elderly facing particularly acute pain and suffering. In just one camp in Baidoa people say that more than 300 children have died in the last three months. Islamic Relief aid workers have met families walking for days in scorching heat to reach the camps in the hope of receiving life-saving aid – yet when they arrive there is simply not enough food to go round and diseases are rife. Children and elderly people have died from hunger and thirst on the journey, while women and girls are at risk of attack while walking miles alone.

“Right now we are seeing unprecedented climate-related disasters all over the world. From the worst floods in living memory in Pakistan to the worst drought in decades in Somalia, it is often the people who contribute least to climate change who suffer the gravest consequences. We need real global commitment to tackle the climate crisis and we need it urgently.” 

We need your help to save millions of lives from famine

In Somalia, local, national and international humanitarian organisations can and are reaching communities most in need. As it is when livelihoods and livestock are protected people that vulnerable populations are much less likely to fall into famine’s deadly shadow.

Islamic Relief Australia is on the ground in Somalia – and in other drought-affected parts of the Horn of Africa – and providing lifesaving food, water, cash and healthcare. So far Islamic Relief has helped more than 167,000 people in the region but much more funds are needed to scale up the response further.

Countries like Somalia and other regions in the Horn of Africa need sustainable solutions now to deal with the long-term consequences of drought and climate change on people’s livelihoods and way of life. The world must not wait for famine to be declared before providing humanitarian aid to those who are starving and dying from hunger.

As the UN launches a new $816 million funding appeal to help Pakistan recover from the devastating floods, Islamic Relief Australia is urging international donors to give generously and ensure that funds and humanitarian assistance reach affected communities quickly.

A series of new Islamic Relief assessments carried out in the hardest-hit areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) sees alarming results for the future of Pakistan if the needs of flood victims are not met amidst the worsening emergency. 

Three-quarters of people in Pakistan still do not have access to safe drinking water.

The assessments observed that 73% of people still lack access to clean water, with 80% of water sources in some areas having been contaminated. Tens of thousands of people are now affected by water-borne diseases including diarrhoea, malaria, typhoid, acute respiratory infections and skin and eye infections. Areas that are still underwater are also seeing a rise in dengue fever.

Worse still is how the floods have damaged 2,000 health facilities, leaving a rising number of vulnerable people without support or medical aid. Shortages of clean water and soap mean have also decreased the number of usable sanitation facilities, as only 27% of people in Pakistan are able to wash themselves thoroughly. Women and girls are especially at risk due to this lack of availability, as a limited amount of privacy or safe places leaves them at increasing risk of harassment and abuse.

Poverty increases as floods continue to destroy homes and livelihoods.

In some areas, almost half of the people surveyed have lost their jobs since the floods. 74% of farmers’ vegetable crops have been damaged and small businesses are struggling to recover because of the damage to roads and bridges which is restricting access to markets.

Over 34,000 homes in flood-affected districts have also perished. In Balochistan alone, over 150,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, and across all regions, thousands of vulnerable people are facing internal displacement.

The needs on the ground remain enormous as Pakistan sees no end to the flash floods.

Massive reconstruction is needed across the country after billions of dollars worth of damage to houses, farms, schools, roads, hospitals, water networks, sanitation systems and other vital infrastructure. Millions of people are in desperate need of sustained support to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

Asif Sherazi, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Pakistan, says: “International attention is fading away but families are still living in the open and winter is fast approaching, when the bitter cold will bring new suffering for many families. The international response so far has helped save lives but the needs on the ground are far bigger than anything we have seen before. International donors need to show greater urgency and make sure that the funds reach organisations who are on the frontlines of the response, including local Pakistani organisations.”

Islamic Relief is also calling on the world to go beyond emergency aid and commit to addressing the devastating effects of climate change on Pakistan. A global finance facility that grants debt relief to Pakistan and allows the country to focus its resources on vital repairs and rebuilding, as well as improve its climate change resistance.  

Help support the relief and recovery efforts underway in Pakistan.

Islamic Relief is focused on helping communities recover from the disaster as quickly as possible to ensure that vulnerable people do not continue to suffer the terrifying impact of the flash floods. Our plans include providing cash grants to families in the most flood-affected areas, which they can use as they wish to cover their most essential needs. Our teams are also working with the local government to support relief efforts.

Islamic Relief has now reached more than 400,000 people across Pakistan with essential aid, including providing clean water, constructing new lavatories, hygiene kits and handwashing stations, as well as supporting people with shelter, food, cash and education. Together, we have raised more than $25 million for its response, and we thank supporters of our flood relief efforts from around the world for your incredible generosity and kindness.

Without access to this urgent aid, flood victims in Pakistan remain at even more risk due to the worsening situation. That’s why, with your help, we can save thousands of lives by responding to their ongoing and immediate needs.

The Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought in decades. An unprecedented four successive failed rainy seasons have wiped out people’s crops and livestock, with the most recent rainy season being the region’s driest in 70 years. On top of the drought, Russia’s war on Ukraine has impacted wheat and fertilizer supplies to the Horn of Africa, tripling prices in markets.

The years of failed harvests, perished livestock, water shortages and rising food prices have devastated livelihoods, as almost 20 million people in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are malnourished, dying from hunger and threatened with famine.

We are witnessing the devastating impact of climate change in real time.

The Horn of Africa has barely seen a drop of rain since 2020. As droughts have now become more frequent and intense, families in these regions are fleeing, risking their lives by trekking in scorching summer heat to reach camps where they can get essential aid. Young children, elderly and vulnerable people arrive in camps on the verge of death, with many more dying from hunger and thirst on the journey there.

Yusuf Roble, Islamic Relief’s Head of Region for East Africa, says: “People here are extremely resilient and can find ways to cope with the most incredible hardships. One or two poor rains makes life very difficult but people find ways to recover. But four failed rains is virtually unprecedented in our lifetimes. Their crops and livestock have died and there is no respite from the drought and no chance to recover. People here are at the forefront of suffering from the devastating impact of climate change.”

Somalia alone saw more than 1 million people flee their homes this year.

In the worst-affected parts of Somalia, almost 4,000 people are now being uprooted every single day in desperate search of food and water. Among these devastating numbers, 66% of those fleeing this year have been young children. But many of these young children often die before reaching the camps, which are rapidly growing overcrowded.

Aliow Mohamed, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Somalia, who recently visited camps in Baidoa, southern Somalia, says: “What we see here is beyond our imagination, it’s a situation of nightmares. We see children dying in front of us from hunger and illness, and others surviving on just a handful of tiny wild fruits which have barely any nutritional value. We meet grieving parents who have lost their children on the way, and women who have given birth without any healthcare or clean water.

“Hundreds more people are arriving here every day. Many of them haven’t eaten at all for several days and are on the verge of death when they arrive. When they do get here, the situation inside the camps is horrendous – there’s very little food, drinking water or latrines, and diseases spread very fast. Children are dying from acute diarrhoea or getting skin diseases like scabies because of the lack of clean water. People urgently need more aid.”

Urgent action is needed from the international community.

Islamic Relief Australia is on the ground in Somalia and in other drought-affected parts of the Horn of Africa providing lifesaving food, water and healthcare. So far Islamic Relief has helped more than 167,000 people in the region but is struggling to raise enough funds to scale up the response further as the crisis has received little attention.

Currently, the Horn of Africa region is dangerously underfunded, as worst-hit countries like Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia have only received a fraction of the aid and support they need. But it is through local, national and international humanitarian organisations reaching their vulnerable communities that these populations have the power to get back on their feet and rebuild their livelihoods.

Pakistan is suffering from its worst floods in living memory. The unprecedented deluge has engulfed communities, forcing millions of people from their homes, destroying water sources, and wiping out crops and livestock needed to feed families.

A staggering one-third of the country is said to be currently underwater, and 33 million people are affected, with the Balochistan and Sindh provinces and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) being the worst hit. Families face dire conditions fleeing for safer areas on any high ground they can find, as rescue and relief efforts are impeded by a widespread power outage and thousands of flood-swept roads and bridges.

An unprecedented number of people need aid

The government has declared the floods a national emergency and appealed for international assistance. The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed the authorities, who are already struggling to mitigate the damage caused by the previous disasters this year’s summer presented.

June saw the rainy season begin early in Pakistan, becoming what its government later labelled a “monster monsoon of the decade”. In July, a heatwave baked the country, destroying orchards, turning fertile farms into barren lands, and triggering the rapid melting of glaciers – of which Pakistan has more than 7,000. Unusually intense monsoon rains saw glaciers burst, sending water surging into rivers, which burst their banks and deluged the land.

Now, in the aftermath of the floods, Pakistan’s shortages of food, water and energy will become even more acute. The health challenges are escalating, with hospitals and clinics damaged and life-threatening diseases including malaria and waterborne infections already on the rise.

The most vulnerable are worst hit

Heartbreakingly, it is Pakistan’s most vulnerable who will suffer the most. These are the families who have lost everything in these latest disasters. Whose children now face futures plagued by further uncertainty, devastation and inequality.

For the Pakistani people, climate change chaos is not just a threat – it has become a lived reality. Their country remains among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. A status caused by its susceptibility to a vast array of natural and human-induced hazards, which have caused numerous waves of internal displacement and internal migration, especially for the country’s poorest people.

There is a need for a whole-of-government response to prevent further crises

This disastrous season has been another eye-opener for our global community on the consequences of climate inaction. It is an ominous reminder of what humanity faces if immediate and dramatic steps are not taken to cut carbon emissions and restore ecosystems.

Countries that have added the most to climate change need to step up and support efforts to equip communities on the frontline of the climate emergency to adapt to its effects. It is unfair for Pakistan, a country that produces less than 1% of the world’s carbon footprint, to bear the brunt of irresponsible environmental practices elsewhere in the world.

Support for humanitarian efforts urgently needed

Islamic Relief Australia is calling on the community to respond swiftly to help those suffering in Pakistan. 

Countries like Pakistan, which are most prone to the negative impact of a changing climate, urgently need sustainable solutions that improve their resilience to climate change across all communities, regardless of income or status.

That’s why our emergency teams are on the ground right now, already working in Pakistan’s local communities to establish how best to support affected families, proving life-saving food, shelter, bedding, and hygiene items, as well as programs that provide long-term protection against climate change-induced disasters.

Islamic Relief Worldwide’s chief executive is visiting communities in Pakistan devastated by what the country’s government has called “a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions”. Waseem Ahmad, who is supporting with relief efforts, reports on the terrible impact of the flooding in Pakistan.

“During my decades as a humanitarian I’ve responded to many disasters, but each cuts deep, searing images of suffering forever into my mind. My mind’s catalogue of misery gained new entries today, as I witnessed scenes I can never forget.

“Travelling to Chārsadda in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, I saw thousands of people lining the motorway. Their homes flooded by the river Kabul, they have taken refuge on the only higher ground they can find.

“Vehicles swished by at high speed, frighteningly close to the children playing outside their family’s makeshift shelters. Flimsy constructions made with whatever sheets and tarpaulin desperate families have been able to find, the shelters offered scant protection from the elements.

“Many have lost everything in the deluge. They told me they desperately need shelter, food, water, and healthcare. Listening to their stories threw into sharp focus the depth and scale of the catastrophe unfolding across Pakistan.”

Millions of people suffering across Pakistan

A man sheltering with his family along the motorway near Chārsadda talks to Islamic Relief CEO Waseem Ahmad.

The enormous numbers involved in this crisis are almost too big to fully comprehend on their own.

Affecting 33 million people so far, the floods have killed at least 1,000 people. Livelihoods lie in ruins, as more than 800,000 livestock have perished, and a staggering 2 million acres of crops and orchards have been affected.

Floodwaters have damaged nearly 1 million homes, 600 schools, 145 bridges, and thousands of kilometres of roads – making relief efforts extremely challenging and cutting off many communities from outside assistance. Alhamdulillah, aid is starting to get through, but it is still painfully slow.

Islamic Relief is working around the clock to provide a lifeline

Islamic Relief is working in affected communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, doing all we can to get aid swiftly to families in dire need, taking a leading role in coordinating with the United Nations and national authorities.

CEO Waseem Ahmad states, “I am tremendously grateful to our dedicated colleagues who are working tirelessly to make this happen.

“Our immediate focus is on life-saving aid, so the items we have been providing include food, tents, hygiene items and kitchen utensils. Giving households cash grants has enabled them to meet their most pressing needs.

“Assisting with aid distribution in a village in Chārsadda, I met families who, just a few days ago, were living happy lives and getting on with everyday life. Now, the river Swat flows where their homes once stood.

“It is destruction on a huge scale.

“Thanks to the generosity of Islamic Relief’s incredible supporters, we have so far reached over 18,000 people. Yet, with millions of people affected by the deluge, it is just a fraction of those in need, and worse is yet to come.”

Humanitarian catastrophe threatens

“Standing by the swollen banks of the river, I fear the spectre of humanitarian catastrophe looms large. Pakistani climate scientists warn that one-third of the country could be underwater before the floods abate. That’s a disaster on a scale which the country has never seen before, and many more families pushed to the edge of survival.

“How many more people will lose their loved ones, their homes, their livelihoods? How many, in the days ahead, will go hungry and thirsty or succumb to the waterborne diseases spreading in inundated communities?

“Islamic Relief has been a lifeline for vulnerable families in Pakistan for 30 years, and I am determined that we will remain by their sides throughout this deepening crisis as well, God-willing. I call on the international community to step up their efforts too, so more families receive the help they so desperately need.”

Islamic Relief calls for an end to the blockade of Gaza

The latest round of attacks on Gaza has further jeopardised and hampered the road to achieving permanent peace. On 5 August, Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations in the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis.

By the time the escalation concluded with a truce two days later, at least 47 Palestinians had been killed, including 16 children. Around 360 Palestinians were injured, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The strikes damaged at least 1,761 housing units, according to the UN, leaving hundreds displaced and thousands more affected.

Gaza’s only working power plant was turned off for two days to conserve fuel, while the power lines supplying many homes and health facilities in Gaza sustained significant damage.

The fallout from the escalation has been made worse by Israel’s 15 years-long blockade on Gaza, which restricts the flow of essential goods and people in and out of the territory.

An end to the blockade

Islamic Relief welcomes the UN-Egyptian brokered truce, which has held since coming into effect at midnight on August 7. We hope it will bring an end to the deaths of civilians seen over the weekend. However, a ceasefire is only a temporary solution to the situation in Gaza. It is not enough to prevent future escalations of violence.

We believe that without meaningful action to address the injustice and inequality at the heart of the situation in Gaza, periodic flare ups in violence will continue, and more civilians will lose their lives.

World leaders must seize this moment to truly address the root causes of the crisis in Gaza and seek a viable lasting solution. Messages of condolence shared on social media do nothing while the underlying issues continue to be ignored.

The Palestinian people deserve to live in freedom and security. For this to be possible, the blockade of Gaza, and the wider illegal occupation of Palestinian territory must be brought to an end. Islamic Relief calls for an end to the Israeli occupation, and for a lasting solution to the conflict that is rooted in international law and justice for all.

A dire humanitarian situation

Every escalation in violence exacerbates the already-dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. While tThe blockade places huge strain on everyday life in the area. For more than 15 years, the Israeli government has controlled Gaza’s land borders, territorial waters and air space, creating what has been called ‘the world’s largest open-air prison’.

The blockade has turned Gaza’s once-vibrant economy into an area where 80 per cent of residents now rely on aid, and many children go to bed hungry. The health system is on the verge of collapse and the economy is in freefall.

Under the current situation, the youth of Gaza look to the future and see steep unemployment, poverty and crisis. Every day, lives and dreams are being crushed.

Islamic Relief has been working in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1997, responding to emergencies and supporting development. During last weekend’s escalation, we provided food and supported medical facilities treating the injured.

We will continue to stand with the people of Palestine. We will advocate for their right to freedom and safety, and we will urge the international community to uphold its responsibilities to the Palestinian people and seek an end to the illegal blockade and occupation.

Urgent action is needed to protect the rights of the people of Gaza, which remain under threat with each day the blockade continues.

Thousands of vulnerable people in Afghanistan receive urgently needed food packages, hygiene kits and access to clean water from Islamic Relief.

Afghanistan is suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis amid drought, conflict and political change. The Covid-19 pandemic has also caused devastation in the country and there are now fears of an economic crisis as 23 million people have lost their livelihoods and conditions continue to deteriorate.

There is a major food shortage across the country, and many do not know where their next meal is coming from.

Islamic Relief have been distributing food packages to those affected. We plan to reach 11,000 of the most vulnerable families across 6 provinces, including Kabul and Nangarhar.

The distributions began on 15 November and are expected to continue in the coming days. Alongside food packages, Islamic Relief are distributing 800 hygiene kits containing soap, shampoo, toothpaste, washcloths etc., 800 water storage kits. We are also providing essential kits containing blankets, bedding, cooking items and more to 600 families.

Islamic Relief has a long and ongoing commitment to the Rohingya and the host communities in Cox’s Bazar.

Through the torment of fleeing their homeland, to fires and floods, we have stood side by side with them. Since Cox’s Bazar is the largest refugee camp in the world and now has a population of more than 1 million, this support is desperately needed.

The Islamic Relief family is uniquely placed to help them over the long term. Islamic Relief Bangladesh has a satellite office in Cox’s Bazar, so we’re on the ground with the people. When disasters occur, Islamic Relief can mobilize quickly and effectively. So, when a massive fire broke out in Ukhiya Camp in Cox’s Bazar, burning more than 50 000 shelters, Islamic Relief was there to help.

Many residents of the camp took temporary shelter in nearby camps and adjacent areas where WASH, shelter and food crisis were already a problem.

The UN World Food Program and other agencies responded with government agencies, but this was not enough to meet all needs.

People had severe needs for non-food items, WASH facilities, emergency shelters and food security. The Islamic Relief Family and Islamic Relief Bangladesh combined to create a comprehensive support package that includes all these elements.

Islamic Relief Australia was asked to help the shelter component rebuild homes safer and sturdier. Through you, our donors, we have responded to the call for shelter and rebuilt lost homes.

Islamic Relief Australia’s shelter intervention led to 2726 individuals having greater access to safe and appropriate shelters in host communities and the Rohingya makeshifts. IRAUS supported the following:

• Permanent Shelters (Refugee community)
• Permanent Shelters (Host community)
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
• Small Scale DRR activities to strengthen shelter sites