World Refugee Day: Horn of Africa mothers struggle amid crisis

World Refugee Day: Horn of Africa mothers struggle amid crisis

In the Horn of Africa, the confluence of natural disasters and conflict has forced millions from their homes. As Islamic Relief marks World Refugee Day, we turn our attention to the enduring spirit of those who have been displaced. These are the stories of Amina and Sacdiya, 2 mothers whose lives have been upended by relentless droughts and violent unrest. Despite these challenges, they continue to strive for a better future for their children.

The crisis unfolds

The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst humanitarian crisis in decades. 3 years of drought decimated crops and livestock, only for unexpected floods to wash away the little that remained. According to the World Health Organization, over 50 million people in the region are facing acute food insecurity. Among them, the most vulnerable are children under 5, with mothers like Amina and Sacdiya doing everything possible to keep their families nourished and safe.

Amina: Fleeing from flames

Amina lived a peaceful life in the once-flourishing village of Kaaro in Somalia. Her days were filled with tending to her small farm where she grew vegetables and raised chickens. However, the onset of severe drought turned her fertile land into a barren desert. Without rain, her crops failed, and her chickens perished. The situation grew worse still when conflict erupted in her region, forcing her to flee with her family.

“We had to run from our home because the fighting was so close,” Amina recalls. “I could hear gunshots and see smoke rising from nearby villages. It was terrifying.” She gathered her 3 children and embarked on a harrowing journey to find safety, leaving behind everything they owned.

Now living in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), Amina reflects on the life she had to abandon. “We were self-sufficient. We had enough to eat, and my children were happy. Now, we rely on aid for our survival.”

Despite the hardships, Amina remains determined to provide for her children. With support from organisations like Islamic Relief, she receives cash that enables her to buy essential food items. “I can at least get rice and beans for my children. It’s not much, but it’s something”.

Sacdiya: Surviving the floods

In Ethiopia’s Afar region, Sacdiya and her family faced a different but equally devastating struggle. For years, they endured relentless drought that dried up their wells and left their livestock parched. When the rains finally came, they brought not relief but destruction. Flash floods ravaged her village, sweeping away homes, livestock, and livelihoods.

Sacdiya vividly remembers the day the floods hit. “We heard a loud roar, and before we knew it, water was everywhere,” she says. “I grabbed my 4 children and ran towards higher ground. We lost everything in the flood, including our home and our animals.”

Displaced and destitute, Sacdiya’s family sought refuge at an IDP camp. Life in the camp is a daily struggle, but Sacdiya’s spirit remains unbroken. She has used cash provided by Islamic Relief to purchase food and basic necessities. “This help is a lifeline for us,” she explains. “It gives me the ability to choose what my family needs most. My children can eat, and I have hope for their future.”

The power of resilience

Amina and Sacdiya’s stories are emblematic of the millions of families that have been uprooted by climate change and conflict in the Horn of Africa. Their resilience is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to endure and adapt in the face of overwhelming adversity. Through the support of Islamic Relief, they are finding ways to survive and rebuild their lives.

For Amina, the hope is to one day return to her village and revive her farm. “I dream of the day I can go back home and see my children running through the fields again,” she says. For Sacdiya, the goal is to secure a stable future for her children. “I want them to go to school and have opportunities I never had,” she shares. “I want them to have a life where they don’t have to worry about their next meal.”

A call to action

On this World Refugee Day, we honour the resilience of refugees and displaced persons like Amina and Sacdiya Their stories remind us of the urgent need for continued humanitarian support and long-term solutions to address the root causes of displacement. As we reflect on their struggles and hopes, let us reaffirm our commitment to standing in solidarity with all those who have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety and a better life.

Join us in standing in solidarity with families forced to flee and donate to Islamic Relief to support our work to enable refugees to live dignified lives.

Islamic Relief Malaysia dan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia Tandatangani MoU, Jalin Kerjasama Strategik

BANGI, 14 Mei 2024 – Dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan gerak kerja kemanusiaan, Islamic Relief Malaysia (IR Malaysia) hari ini menandatangani Memorandum Persefahaman (MoU) bersama Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) dalam satu majlis yang diadakan di pejabat IR Malaysia.

Pemeteraian MoU itu disempurnakan oleh Datuk Nur Iskandar A Samad, Ahli Lembaga Pemegang Amanah IR Malaysia dan Prof. Dr. Akmal Khuzairy Abd. Rahman, Timbalan Rektor (Pembangunan Pelajar dan Penglibatan Komuniti) UIAM, sambil disaksikan oleh Mohd Shukor Tahir, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif IR Malaysia, dan Anizam Hj. Ali, Timbalan Pengarah Kanan, Pejabat Timbalan Rektor (Pembangunan Pelajar dan Penglibatan Komuniti) UIAM.

Perjanjian tersebut menandakan usaha kerjasama yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan aktiviti kemanusiaan dalam kalangan pelajar dan kakitangan UIAM di Kampus Gombak serta kampus-kampus lain.

Datuk Nur Iskandar menekankan bahawa IR Malaysia berbesar hati dapat menjalin kerjasama strategik bersama UIAM dalam memperkasa komuniti dan meringankan penderitaan golongan memerlukan.

“Kolaborasi bersama UIAM ini merupakan satu peristiwa penting dalam misi IR Malaysia untuk memberikan bantuan dan sokongan kepada komuniti yang memerlukan. Dengan menggabungkan kepakaran dan sumber yang ada, insya-Allah, kita boleh menyumbang lebih kepada masyarakat dan mencapai impak yang lebih berkesan.

“Saya percaya, jalinan kerjasama strategik ini akan membantu pelajar dan kakitangan UIAM dalam membentuk sahsiah dan menjadi individu yang mempunyai sifat keprihatinan yang tinggi.

“Mereka akan didedahkan dengan pelbagai kisah realiti kehidupan masyarakat dan berpeluang mengumpul pengalaman berharga agar mereka dapat mendalami dan memahami makna kemanusiaan yang sebenar,” katanya.

Sebagai organisasi yang berpengalaman dalam kerja amal dan kemasyarakatan, IR Malaysia menjangkakan kerjasama ini akan membuka jalan bagi pelbagai program dan projek bersama. Ini termasuk pembangunan pelajar, perkongsian penyelidikan akademik, dan penglibatan pelajar dalam aktiviti sukarelawan dan kempen kesedaran.

UIAM proaktif dalam melibatkan pelajarnya dengan komuniti tempatan dan global, dengan matlamat memastikan pertumbuhan mampan dan mempromosikan konsep Rahmatanlil Alamin. Universiti ini memperjuangkan konsep Komuniversiti, menekankan bahawa pendidikan bukan sekadar pembelajaran di kelas dan mereka bertanggungjawab menyumbang kembali kepada masyarakat.

Sejak 2011, IR Malaysia dan UIAM telah bekerjasama dalam pelbagai inisiatif, termasuk lawatan ke kampung Orang Asli, ekspo kemanusiaan, teater Lelaki Dari Dhaka, Malam Kemanusiaan, Misi Kemanusiaan Lombok, dan Larian Amal Belon Air, antara lain.

Acara bersejarah ini turut dihadiri oleh barisan pengurusan, pegawai kanan, dan sukarelawan dari kedua-dua organisasi.

Lebih 17 Ribu Keluarga di Syria Terjejas Akibat Banjir

BARAT LAUT SYRIA, 24 Mei – Hujan lebat dan angin kencang telah menjejaskan Barat Laut Syria terutamanya di wilayah Idlib dan Aleppo sehingga menyebabkan banjir kilat.

Banjir ini telah membawa kepada kemusnahan kem-kem pelarian, merosakkan jalan raya dan menenggelamkan tanah pertanian, rumah serta kemudahan perubatan dan pendidikan. Ini menyebabkan berlakunya perpindahan penduduk.

Laporan awal menunjukkan bahawa 24 lokasi di wilayah Aleppo, terutamanya daerah Afrin dan Azaz dan 15 lokasi di wilayah Idlib terutamanya wilayah Harim terjejas.

Berdasarkan penilaian Islamic Relief, 41 kem pelarian telah terjejas dan memberi kesan kepada 6,428 orang. Pihak berkuasa tempatan turut melaporkan bahawa 17,669 keluarga di lapan daerah kecil terjejas dan lebih daripada 521 khemah rosak.

Keadaan berlumpur telah mengganggu akses kanak-kanak untuk ke sekolah dan menghalang keluarga pelarian untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan penting di kem-kem ini.

Syria yang dihambat krisis kemanusiaan dan konflik berterusan menjadi bertambah buruk sejak gempa bumi kuat melanda negara tersebut pada Februari 2023. Situasi ekonomi yang semakin merosot menjadikan lebih ramai penduduknya berdepan cabaran hidup. Pada tahun 2024, sekitar 16.7 juta orang memerlukan bantuan kemanusiaan, satu peningkatan ketara berbanding tahun sebelumnya.

World Environment Day 2024: Boosting climate resilience in Bangladeshi communities through gardening

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Those living there are increasingly faced with climate hazards such as natural disasters, and highly specific problems that damage the agriculture sector – including salinity intrusion.

Salinity intrusion affects coastal regions, significantly reducing agricultural productivity. Over the past 35 years, this intrusion has surged by 26%.

By 2050, climate change is forecasted to worsen river and groundwater salinity, exacerbating water scarcity in Bangladesh’s southwest coastal areas and affecting the livelihoods of approximately 2.9 million impoverished individuals.

Events like Cyclone Aila damaged soil and groundwater salinity, posing immense challenges for the agriculture sector. Other factors such as disasters, summer water shortages, saline mud, and delayed rainfall further hinder agricultural development.

To address these issues, Islamic Relief has launched a number of projects to enhance community resilience and economic sustainability across 3 districts – Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira – focusing on vulnerable coastal areas.

Enhancing resilience

One such initiative launched is our ‘Empowering Marginalised Communities of Bangladesh towards achieving Agenda 2030’, the main goal of which is to boost institutional and community resilience in vulnerable coastal areas, helping them to better withstand the impacts of climate change.

The project aims to empower marginalised families to protect their rights and bolster their resilience to climate change impacts. Through various interventions, including promoting locally-led adaptation techniques, trialling climate-resilient crops, and encouraging modern agricultural practices, the project aims to enhance agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods as well.

Additionally, initiatives such as promoting indigenous livestock breeds and implementing water-saving techniques like “mulching” are underway to mitigate water scarcity and increase production rates.

Through the project, communities are participating in training sessions on kitchen gardening, receiving assistance with necessary inputs (such as receiving donations seeds, saplings, and vermicompost organic fertiliser), and attending demonstrations aimed at boosting agricultural output – all while adjusting to climate change impacts.

As a result, community resilience is steadily improving.

Sowing seeds

Islamic Relief identified 2,500 individuals to grow their own home gardens. To help these gardens flourish, Islamic Relief organised numerous training sessions and provided seeds and organic fertiliser throughout the project duration.

Arzina, a project participant from Ishwaripur Union in the Dumuria sub-district of Khulna, was supported to turn her heavily saline land into a productive homestead garden.

“I never imagined our salty land could transform into lush greenery. Now, we are not solely reliant on my husband’s income.” Arzina says.

After receiving training, Arzina applied the techniques she had learned – including using organic fertiliser instead of chemical fertiliser and selecting climate-resilient varieties, such as string beans, tomatoes, radish, spinach, coconut, guava, amongst others – to her gardening to try growing vegetables. Despite the salinity of her land, Arzina succeeded, growing a harvest that has provided additional income towards her children’s education.

“The training and techniques I have acquired from Islamic Relief have expanded my knowledge and yielded positive results. Witnessing such verdant growth on our once barren land is beyond our expectations.”

This project has benefitted close to 38,000 individuals so far, and is one of Islamic Relief’s most successful projects in Bangladesh as part of our continued efforts to combat climatic change EMCB Agenda 2030 project.

Initiatives like these demonstrate the vital role of community-led efforts in building resilience and fostering sustainable development in climate-vulnerable regions. More can be done however, and this World Environment Day we are highlighting the urgent need for climate action to help people like Arzina, and the communities they belong to. Donate now.

Morocco’s Al Haouz earthquake: 8 months on

Islamic Relief has released a new report detailing our response to the devastating earthquake that struck central Morocco on 8 September 2023.

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake killed families while they slept in their beds and flattened whole villages. The following aftershocks also caused untold damage to the surrounding regions and were felt all across the country.

Communities left in ruins

The earthquake was the most powerful to hit Morocco in over 60 years. Close to 3,000 people lost their lives, while thousands more were injured.

More than 2.8 million people were affected – including 100,000 children.

Eight months on from the disaster, many in the communities affected are still struggling to piece their lives back together. 500,000 people were forced to flee from their homes and now live in makeshift shelters which do little to protect from the elements.

The road to recovery is long, and the reconstruction program is both costly and complex.

An immediate and long-term response

Within hours of the disaster, Islamic Relief launched a £10 million appeal to assist survivors.

To date, we have completed 9 humanitarian projects, reaching nearly 46,000 people across 100 villages with vital, life-saving aid.

Islamic Relief continues to help survivors meet their most pressing basic needs, while also pivoting to longer-term interventions that are needed to help improve and rebuild lives going forward.

These include providing essential medical services and health education in affected communities, through the launch of 27 health caravans and the installation of latrines and showers.

Working alongside local partners, Islamic Relief is continuing to support the people of Morocco as they recover from this disaster. You can find out more about our work by reading Morocco’s Al Haouz earthquake: 8 months on report .

Banjir Afghanistan: Islamic Relief Gerakkan Usaha Bantuan

AFGHANISTAN, 13 Mei – Islamic Relief memulakan langkah tindak balas segera susulan banjir besar yang melanda Afghanistan, sehingga meragut lebih 300 nyawa dengan ramai lagi individu yang masih belum ditemui.

Antara wilayah yang terjejas teruk ialah Baghlan, Takhar dan Badakhsan. Pihak berkuasa tempatan telah mengisytiharkan darurat terhadap bencana yang berlaku.

Umai Hasan, Pengarah Negara Islamic Relief Afghanistan, menyatakan kebimbangan yang mendalam terhadap tragedi yang berlaku.

“Air sungai dan lumpur mengalir deras secara tiba-tiba dan menenggelamkan kampung-kampung, memusnahkan ladang pertanian dan menghanyutkan rumah-rumah penduduk.

“Bilangan penduduk yang terjejas dijangka meningkat dari masa ke masa memandangkan ramai yang dilaporkan masih hilang,” katanya.

Hasan menekankan keperluan mendesak ketika ini ialah tempat perlindungan, makanan, dan kit kebersihan. Islamic Relief merangka pelan bantuan untuk mengedarkan makanan, bekalan penting, dan bantuan tunai bagi memenuhi keperluan golongan rentan, termasuk individu kurang upaya dan anak yatim.

Penduduk yang dipindahkan juga menghadapi ancaman penyakit bawaan air yang semakin meningkat.

Tragedi yang berlaku ini menggariskan serangan berterusan bencana alam dan cabaran sosio-ekonomi yang dihadapi oleh rakyat Afghanistan sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini. Intervensi Islamic Relief berfungsi sebagai peringatan yang tegas tentang keperluan mendesak bagi meringankan penderitaan komuniti yang bergelut dengan pelbagai kesan krisis.

	Rayuan Palestin
	mySedekah
	DWAS
	MyYateem
	Bantuan Kecemasan Lokal

	A-05-1, Paragon Point,
	Jalan Medan PB5,
	Seksyen 9, 43650,
	Bandar Baru Bangi,
	Selangor, Malaysia

	Tel: +603 8926 3434
	WhatsApp: +6019 637 9788
	E-mel: info@islamic-relief.org.my
	Pertanyaan Umum
	Aduan & Maklum Balas
	Pertanyaan Media

	IRM Server
	Extra-net
	Staff Mail
	IR Digital