NORTHWEST SYRIA, May 24 – Heavy rainfall and strong winds have severely impacted Northern Syria, particularly in the Idlib and Aleppo governorates, leading to flash floods and severe weather-related incidents.

The floods have caused extensive damage to camps, closed roads, and inundated agricultural lands, homes, and medical and educational facilities, prompting population displacement.

Preliminary reports indicate that 24 sites in Aleppo Governorate, mainly in Afrin and Azaz districts, and 15 sites in Idlib Governorate, primarily in Harim district, were affected.

According to a rapid assessment by the Islamic Relief team, 41 camps were affected, impacting 6,428 internally displaced persons (IDPs), while local authorities reported that 17,669 families in eight sub-districts were affected and over 521 tents were damaged.

Muddy conditions have disrupted children’s access to schools and hindered families’ ability to access essential services in the displaced persons camps, with displaced people living in camps being the most affected during this severe weather.

Syria is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, worsened by the February 2023 earthquakes and ongoing conflicts. The economic situation has declined, making more people vulnerable and needing help. In 2024, around 16.7 million people require humanitarian aid, a notable increase from the previous year.

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.

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.

AFGHANISTAN, May 13 – Islamic Relief has initiated urgent response measures in the wake of catastrophic floods that have engulfed Afghanistan, claiming over 300 lives with many more individuals still unaccounted for. The devastation follows relentless torrential rains that swept through the region, obliterating roads, agricultural lands, and fragile homes, exacerbating the already dire situation in one of the world’s most severe food crises.

Umair Hasan, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Afghanistan, expressed grave concern over the unfolding tragedy, stating, “Huge rivers of water and mud suddenly swept through villages, destroying vital farmland and washing away people’s fragile homes. Many people are reportedly still missing so the number of people affected could still rise.”

Hasan emphasized the urgent need for shelter, food, and hygiene supplies, as the displaced populations face the looming threat of waterborne diseases.

The humanitarian response aims to provide immediate assistance to families grappling with homelessness, hunger, and loss of assets. Islamic Relief intends to distribute food, essential supplies, and cash assistance to facilitate access to shelter and basic necessities through local markets. Moreover, efforts will be directed towards addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, including individuals with disabilities and orphaned children, who are disproportionately affected by the crisis.

While the majority of casualties have been reported in Baghlan province, where Islamic Relief already has ongoing projects, the repercussions of the floods have reverberated across neighboring regions such as Takhar and Badakhshan. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency in response to the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.

The unfolding tragedy underscores the relentless onslaught of natural disasters and socio-economic challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan in recent years, compounded by the neglect of the international community. Islamic Relief’s intervention serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for sustained support to alleviate the suffering of communities grappling with the aftermath of successive crises.