“Kami sekeluarga pernah tak makan selama tiga hari hingga anak-anak menangis kelaparan.”

Islamic Relief Malaysia mengedarkan 100 unit baucar tunai bernilai RM200 kepada komuniti pelarian dari Myanmar di Pangsapuri Sri Nilam, Ampang, Selangor sempena menyambut bulan Ramadan.

Inisiatif ini merupakan salah satu bentuk bantuan yang diwujudkan menerusi projek Rezeki Ramadan dengan slogan #gandakanpahala.

Pengurus Bahagian Program Islamic Relief Malaysia, Fa’azurah Kadir berkata objektif program bermusim yang dijalankan Islamic Relief secara global selama hampir empat dekad ini bertujuan meringankan beban golongan rentan dalam menyediakan juadah berbuka dan bersahur ketika bulan Ramadan.

“Bantuan ini juga berperanan sebagai alternatif bagi penerima manfaat dalam berdepan isu kenaikan kos sara hidup dan masalah kewangan.

“Pendekatan baucar tunai diguna pakai bagi memberi fleksibiliti kepada penerima manfaat untuk membeli barangan mengikut keperluan mereka.

“Selain menggunakan kaedah baucar tunai yang boleh ditebus oleh penerima manfaat di pasaraya terpilih, projek Rezeki Ramadan turut memberikan pek makanan yang dilengkapi dengan barangan keperluan asas seperti beras, bihun, gula, garam, tepung gandum, biskut, sos cili, kicap, teh, serbuk minuman malt coklat, kopi, minyak masak, sardin, kurma, santan, serbuk rempah dan pelitup muka,” jelas Fa’azurah.

Secara keseluruhan, projek Rezeki Ramadan bakal memberi manfaat kepada lebih 6,000 keluarga di seluruh Malaysia.

Antara kriteria utama pemilihan penerima bantuan ialah golongan B40 dan ke bawah, orang kurang upaya (OKU), ibu tunggal, pesakit kronik, pelarian, penduduk terjejas bencana dan keluarga dengan bilangan ahli yang ramai.

“Saya bekerja di kedai cuci kereta untuk menampung kehidupan kami empat beranak. Sebelum ini, saya kutip besi buruk dan jual. Itu sahaja punca pendapatan saya. Dalam sehari dapat sekitar RM20 atau RM30.

“Hidup kami memang susah. Sewa rumah sering tertunggak. Kami sekeluarga pernah tak makan selama tiga hari hingga anak-anak menangis kelaparan sebab memang tiada duit langsung,” cerita Mohd Shahid Mohd Ilyas, penerima manfaat projek Rezeki Ramadan di Pangsapuri Sri Nilam, Ampang.

Shahid menzahirkan rasa syukur tidak terhingga atas sumbangan yang diberikan. Dia juga berterima kasih kepada para penyumbang kerana sudi membantu meski mereka bukan warganegara Malaysia.

“Sebagai wakil komuniti yang menjadi perantara dalam sesi edaran baucar tunai ini, saya sangat bersyukur kerana permohonan bantuan kami mendapat perhatian dan pertimbangan Islamic Relief Malaysia.

“Saya buat kerja-kerja ini secara sukarela kerana saya kasihan dengan komuniti pelarian di sini. Kebanyakan daripada mereka tidak boleh berbahasa Melayu dan Inggeris. Jadi, sukar untuk mereka mencari atau mendapatkan bantuan daripada pihak lain selain kenalan atau saudara-mara sendiri.

“Kadangkala bantuan diterima dalam kuantiti yang sedikit, jadi saya akan cuba usulkan nama penerima bantuan secara berperingkat. Saya bukan apa, saya kasihan dengan mereka, hidup mereka sangat susah sebab tidak tahu membaca dan menulis. Jadi, nak cari kerja pun susah,” kata Zahida Ismail, sukarelawan wakil komuniti.

Selain bantuan dalam negara, Islamic Relief Malaysia turut mengedarkan sumbangan kepada keluarga yang memerlukan di luar negara termasuk di Palestin, Indonesia, Bosnia, Filipina, Syria, Yaman, Afghanistan, Lubnan, Somalia dan Pakistan.

Orang awam yang mahu menyalurkan bantuan boleh melayari laman sesawang www.islamic-relief.org.my atau hubungi ibu pejabat Islamic Relief Malaysia di talian 03-8926 3434.

Gempa bumi di Pakistan dan Afghanistan ragut 19 nyawa

PAKISTAN, 24 Mac 2023 – Sekurang-kurangnya 19 orang terkorban, manakala 200 lagi cedera berikutan gempa bumi 6.5 magnitud dengan kedalaman 120 kilometer yang melanda sebahagian besar kawasan di Pakistan dan Afghanistan.

Kejadian itu telah merosakkan bangunan serta menyebabkan jalan raya utama disekat kerana tanah runtuh.

Gegaran turut dirasai di kawasan India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan dan Turkmenistan.

Talian telekomunikasi di kedua-dua buah negara juga terjejas.

Penduduk di satu blok kediaman bertingkat di Pakistan telah dipindahkan, kerana terdapat retakan besar di bangunan itu.

Angka kematian dijangka meningkat kerana kerja-kerja mencari dan menyelamat masih dijalankan.

Kakitangan Islamic Relief di Pakistan dan Afghanistan dilaporkan selamat.

Siklon Tropika Freddy di Malawi ragut 499 nyawa

MALAWI, 24 Mac 2023 – Sekurang-kurangnya 499 orang terkorban, 1,332 cedera, 427 lagi dilaporkan hilang dan 508,244 orang pula hilang tempat tinggal, susulan bencana Siklon Tropika Freddy yang melanda Malawi sejak dua minggu lalu.

Bencana itu mengakibatkan banjir dan tanah runtuh yang teruk. Jalan raya ditenggelami air dan kediaman penduduk ditimbuni lumpur.

Sebanyak 437 buah sekolah musnah dan rosak, sementara kerosakan tiang elektrik, pemancar dan paip air yang berlaku menyebabkan bekalan elektrik serta air terputus.

Di Mozambique, gangguan bekalan elektrik yang berlaku telah menjejaskan perkampungan kecil dan mengganggu kerja-kerja menyelamat penduduk terjejas yang sedang menunggu bantuan makanan dan perubatan.

Presiden Malawi, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera telah mengisytiharkan darurat di negara itu.

Kakitangan Islamic Relief di Malawi sudah berada di lapangan sejak minggu lalu bagi menjalankan penilaian keperluan semasa yang diperlukan penduduk terjejas.

Antara keperluan mendesak yang telah dikenalpasti ialah tempat perlindungan dan tandas sementara, tarpaulin atau plastik penebat haba, selimut, alas tidur, pakaian, makanan, klorin untuk rawatan air dan alatan dapur.

“I despair of life as a refugee but I cannot return to Syria..”

12 years of conflict in Syria has created the largest displacement crisis in the world.

Nearly 5.6 million registered refugees – including more than 2.6 million children – now live in Egypt, Türkiye, Iraq and Jordan.

As of January 2023, an estimated 1.5 million Syrians were taking refuge in Lebanon. The economic crisis in the country, combined with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Beirut explosion of 2023, has deepened poverty. The poorest and most vulnerable are bearing the brunt – among them, Syrian refugees, of whom a staggering 9 out of 10 are living in extreme poverty.

There are also fewer Syrians in Lebanon with valid legal residency. Those without face difficulties accessing essential basic services and are at risk of deportation.

Among those facing deepening poverty and uncertain futures is Mona.

Fleeing conflict in Syria

Mona is from the Qusayr region of Syria, where until she lived with her husband and children until they were forced to flee their home. When the crisis began, Mona’s husband was arrested. She has not seen him since.

Along with her brother’s orphaned children, Mona fled to the Yabroud region where after just 2 years, more violence and more bombs forced them from Syria to Arsal in Lebanon.

“It is true that in Syria there was bombing, killing, beating, and slaughter, but here in Lebanon our situation has become more difficult and more complicated.” Mona tells us.

“We used to benefit from a United Nations card, but now it has been stopped. We burn shoes and old clothes in the heater to keep warm, and the tent fees have become very expensive, about $30, as well as the electricity bill.

“I am sick and I have breast cancer, and I had a mastectomy, and now I am very tired.”

Mona lives in one of the 12 refugee camps in Lebanon, which offer shelter to 45% of the Syrian refugees in the country. Overcrowding, poor housing conditions, unemployment, poverty and lack of access to justice make living conditions in the camps dire.

“I despair of this life”

Mona and her family’s lives deteriorated further when her son needed surgery to remove tumours from his neck. No support was available to them, and Mona struggled to pay the medical bills.

“I despair of this life. Any money that comes to us I use pay for my son’s doctor, because my son’s health is more important than anything, but now my son’s operation will require $1,000.

“The dollar today is more than 46,000 Lebanese pounds, and a bundle of bread is 26,000 Lebanese pounds. We could not buy coal to use in the heater, so to keep warm we had to use children’s clothes and shoes, leaving them with no clothes left to wear.

“Our situation in Lebanon is very difficult. [But] we cannot return to our country. If we did, I would be surrendering the safety of my children. There is no safety in Syria.”

Islamic Relief has been a lifeline for Mona and her family. Through our orphan sponsorship scheme she receives a regular stipend to help provide for her children. The family have received qurbani meat and Ramadan food parcels, and were among 78,00 people in Lebanon given winter survival items like blankets and warm clothes.

A lifeline in Lebanon

Islamic Relief first started working in Lebanon in 2006, providing those affected by the Lebanon war with food, clean water and essential household items.

Now, we are still on the ground providing shelter, blankets, and fuel to help families like Mona’s, while our orphan sponsorship support thousands of vulnerable children in Lebanon.

With your generous donations, we will continue to support families suffering in the protracted Syrian crisis. Donate to our Save Syria today.

“Islamic Relief saved the lives of many people in Syria, including our son..”

As the Syria crisis enters its 12^th year, the plight of the Syrian people continues to worsen.

Previously described as the “worst man-made disaster the world has seen since World War II,” by then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the crisis has devastated the people of Syria.

The crisis has forced an unprecedented number of people to flee their homes in what has become the largest displacement crisis in the world. Nearly 5.6 million registered refugees – including more than 2.6 million children – now live in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Türkiye.

Meanwhile 1.3 million Syrians are seeking safety in Jordan, including Osama, who is from Homs in Western Syria.

Part of a big family

Osama was living as part of a large family unit with his 8 brothers and 3 sisters. But when the crisis began, the close knit-family were ripped apart as they fled the country.

“You lose everyone – not losing them to death, [but because] we were all displaced.” Osama tells us. “I do not wish for any other country go through harm [like that in Syria], because its people go through difficult days.”

Osama initially struggled with life in Jordan.

“We went through a cold winter with heavy rain, and strong winds. As I am a person with a disability, going through those phases was very hard on me, but I had it in me to make it.”

It also took Osama time to get to grips with the differences in the language between Syria and Jordan, but through patience and hard work he was able to settle in Al-Karak and pursue his passions.

Inspiring others with disabilities

Since an early age, Osama’s passion in life has been acting:

“Acting is my passion and my hobby; you will always see me in theatre where I have volunteered alongside humanitarian organisations. When others notice my work coming from someone with a disability, someone who is working, directing, and writing a professional way with a meaningful message to spread, they eventually fall in love with my work. My goal is to give motivate and inspire others with disabilities.”

To fund his passion, Osama took a job working in a shoe shop but still life in Jordan is tough. Sometimes he struggles to afford rent and medication, often Osama is forced to sell items on the street to be able to afford the basics.

During this time, Osama also got married. He now has 2 children, with another on the way.

“I will do anything in my power just to make my family happy, to have a normal life like everyone else and to take them away from all the destruction that I have experienced.”

Due to the spiralling costs of education for his children, Osama needed more help and thankfully, a friend passed along details of the work Islamic Relief is doing to support refugees in Jordan.

Much needed support

Osama had the idea of setting up a home appliance store, where he could sell household items like teacups, plates, trays and cutlery.

After filling out an application form and attending an interview, Osama was accepted into the ‘Enhancing Access to Economic Empowerment and Livelihoods Opportunities for Women and Youth’ programme.

“Directly after the interview they called me and asked me to come for training, can you imagine that? They care about people.

“Islamic Relief train you on how to build your project. We took a course delivered by very intelligent people and we received funding for the project itself, after my work plan was approved. We held a completion ceremony where we received certificates for completing Talal Abu Ghazalieh’s Training Academy.”

After completing his training and receiving funding from Islamic Relief, Osama opened the ‘Rose for Home Appliances’ store, named after his sister, “Although she’s far away from me now, my sister is so dear to my heart.

“In the end, I want to thank Islamic Relief from the bottom of my heart. My wish is that Islamic Relief never stops supporting people – not just for me, but some people are still in need for support and help.”

Islamic Relief remains a lifeline to vulnerable people as Syria marks 12 long, terrible years of crisis. With your support, Islamic Relief will continue our vital work: donate to our Save Syria now.

“I will save my family from the destruction I experienced in Syria..”