The death toll in the Turkiye and Syria earthquake surpasses 41,000

Turkiye – Syria, February 15, 2023 – The death toll in Turkiye and Syria earthquake has surpasses 41,000 people, while 24.4 million people affected due to an earthquake in Turkiye and Syria.

Search and rescue activities are still ongoing.

According to Reuters, over 13,900 buildings were destroyed in both countries.

The government does technical assessments by checking the house to enable people to return to their homes safely. More renovation process has also been done.

In some areas, people are still facing ongoing water and gas cut. It makes the affected people hard to keep warm because the weather is very cold and dropped to minus five.

The urgent need in Turkiye is shelter items.

In Syria, people are facing a lack of water supply and tents are urgently needed.

Reception centres are very crowded. Three to four families have to be allocated in one tent because the tents are very limited.

Currently, Islamic Relief has supported more than 387,000 affected people in Turkiye and Syria by distributing emergency assistance such as food packs, drinks, bread, blankets, mattresses, plastic sheets, tents, heating materials, and medical items.

Islamic Relief delivers early response to those affected in Turkiye and Syria

Syria, February 9, 2023 – Islamic Relief has delivered emergency assistance such as medicines, medical supplies, blankets, mattresses, and plastic sheets in Syria.

In Gaziantep, Turkey, Islamic Relief has distributed food and drink assistance to those affected.

Islamic Relief has launched a £20 million global appeal and at the moment, about £500,000 (more than RM2.5 million) has been used to help those affected in both countries.

The death toll has passed 16,000 people and tens of thousands injured.

Four airports in Turkiye are currently closed to flights, meanwhile, all schools in 10 provinces affected in Turkiye and all schools in Syria were suspended from today.

An Earthquake Kills hundreds in Turkiye and Syria

TURKIYE, February 6, 2023 – More than 500 people died, while more than 3,000 others were injured in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkiye and Syria.

The number of deaths is expected to rise.

Tremors were also felt in Lebanon.

Many people were reportedly trapped under the rubble of buildings.

Islamic Relief is currently actively conducting a current needs assessment for emergency relief work.

Currently, Islamic Relief assessing the situation to plan an emergency assistance.

(Source: CNN)

“I ran away from home, only to be sexually abused by my in-laws”

Banu, a Nepalese woman who suffered brutal sexual abuse after her husband died, lived with her husband’s violent family for years in India. Banu’s story is a poignant reminder that millions of women are facing violence in the one place they should feel safe: their home.

Banu*, 31, is from Putali Bazar in Nepal’s Syangja district. When Banu was a child her mother passed away, and she went to live with her father and his new wife. Her stepmother forced Banu to drop out of school and become an agricultural labourer.

While working in the fields she met Salim. Banu knew she would never be allowed to marry him, so she eloped and got married without her family’s consent. In order to be closer to Salim’s family, the young couple moved to Urdu Bazar in New Delhi, India.

Banu hoped that being with the man she loved and his family would bring the happiness she longed for. Sadly, her problems continued in her new home.

The family refused to accept their marriage, but Salim was able to convince his parents to let his new wife stay. Banu’s mother-in-law started to abuse her, she wouldn’t allow her food, denied her clothing, and beat her. When Banu became pregnant with Salim’s baby, things took a turn for worse and, when her in-laws tried to kill her newborn daughter this was the breaking point for the young parents. Banu and Salim moved out of the home with their baby, and several years later, Banu gave birth to another baby girl.

Sadly Salim died 2 years ago, bringing about dark days for Banu, who was forced to return to her husband’s family, where her father and brother-in-law sexually assaulted her. Refusing their sexual abuse would result in further torture from the entire family. The physical and mental torment she was experiencing forced her to flee with her 2 daughters.

Trying to get to her mother’s family in Nepal, Banu was robbed as she attempted to escape across the Nepal-India border. Nepalese customs officials took her to the Nepal Police Children and Women Cell at Gaur. During her stay in the women’s centre, Banu and her children were provided with much-needed food, essentials and counselling. The Rural Development Centre (RDC) also worked with the Nepalese Police in ensuring Banu’s safe return to her family.

The RDC project has reunited and reconciled Banu and her children with her father, and she is now happily living with her maternal relatives. Banu expressed gratitude for the support she has received, and thanked the project implemented by RDC Nepal with the technical and financial support of Islamic Relief for its support and assistance.

To support women like Banu, Islamic Relief offers psychological and long-term support to vulnerable communities in Nepal. In addition, women and girls receive information about their rights, the importance of gender equality, and education, which helps girls and women to gain employment and achieve financial independence.

However, we need your help urgently to support families like Banu’s, please donate to allow us to continue our lifesaving work.

Fighting to be heard: Why the voices of people with disabilities are crucial to climate action

People with disabilities are often hardest hit by the consequences of climate change, but their experiences are less likely to be heard. This International Day for People with Disabilities, we share the story of Nursanah, a scallop-seller in Indonesia calling for action to protect the environment on which his livelihood depends.

Globally, climate change has caused widespread damage and economic losses worth billions of dollars. Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, is also extremely vulnerable to climate change. As a result of these vulnerabilities, Islamic Relief Indonesia is committed to taking action to reduce the negative effects of climate change, especially for marginalised communities.

But even amongst marginalised communities, there are those that are left at the fringes of the conversation around climate change. Among the groups excluded are disabled people, despite their greater vulnerability to the devastating effects of the climate emergency. It is thought that at least 10 million people in Indonesia have a disability that limits their ability to participate in society.

Livelihoods under threat

In Lombok, Indonesia, changing sea patterns, irregular rainfall, and extreme weather events are having severe impacts on the agricultural and fishing sectors, with devastating consequences for livelihoods. As rain and weather patterns become more erratic, for instance, salt farmers who rely on the dry season to harvest their salt are being forced to restart the salt making process several times a month, leading to significant losses in income.

The situation is even more dire for people with disabilities, since climate change limits their livelihood options. Among them is Nursanah, who lives in Repok Bembek village with his wife and 6-year-old son. Due to his disability, Nursanah is unable to pursue the salt farming trade that his family has traditionally been involved in. Instead, he collects scallops to sell, while his wife works on a tobacco farm.

With the changing climate and unsustainable farming practices, however, this too is becoming increasingly unviable for Nursanah. He explained some of the challenges affecting his livelihood, “Lately the sea levels near the mangrove area have been going up and sometimes the tide does not retreat, and I am not able to collect scallops to sell at the market. When that happens, I usually just go back home and try to collect them the next day. Also, the mangroves have been cut down by the community, so they can turn the area into a shrimp farm. So, I am now forced to walk much longer distance in order to fish for scallops near the mangrove area which is very difficult for me because of my disability.”

The road that Nursanah has to travel to collect scallops is difficult to navigate even without a physical disability, and the 43-year-old is also struggling as the lake area where he collects scallops is shrinking. “For me, what would be very helpful is to protect the mangroves because it’s been destroyed by the community and I rely on it because that’s the natural habitat for the scallops I harvest for my income.”

The impact of climate change has also adversely affected Nursanah and his family’s health, further impairing their ability to earn a living: “Everyone in my family seems to be getting sick more easily, especially when the weather changes, we all get the flu. I have also noticed that recently I have an allergic reaction to rainwater. I get a rash whenever it rains heavily, so I usually stay at home when that happens.”

This International Day for People with Disabilities we draw attention to some of the issues people with disabilities face daily – but it is equally important to emphasise that people with disabilities also have their place in society. As climate change continues to devastate communities around the world, it has become increasingly imperative to build a greener and more sustainable planet for everyone.

To mitigate the harm and build resilience to climate change, world leader must take bolder and swifter measures that put the needs and experiences of vulnerable communities at the centre. Moving forward, it is crucial that we prioritise the stories and insights of people of disability who are disproportionately affected by climate change.

Islamic Relief works with local communities to provide relief from the devastating effects of climate change, build resilience, and support vulnerable people to adapt to the challenges. Donate today to support our vital work.

A year after the attack on Gaza, businesses are still struggling to recover

On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Islamic Relief is highlighting the devastating impact of decades Israeli blockade on the businesses that are the lifeblood of Gaza.

In 2021 and during the 11-day strikes on Gaza, hundreds of civilians were killed and injured in Gaza. Thousands were displaced. Basic services were severely disrupted and homes and infrastructure destroyed or damaged. According to the Ministry of Public Work and Housing, 2173 housing were units destroyed or severely damaged. It exacerbated the dire humanitarian conditions and trauma Palestinians in Gaza already face.

Reconstruction of the thousands of destroyed buildings is extremely slow, with the continuing blockade stifling the supply of much-needed building materials. Without an end to the blockade, recovery is impossible.

Gone up in smoke

Al-Jawhara tower, located in the center of Gaza City, was owned and operated by Mohammad Abu Atta Jarour, one of its founders. A bustling place, it housed a variety of local and international media outlets, businesses, and government agencies.

But in May last year, the tower was one of many buildings destroyed or badly damaged in the al-Rimal district, the business centre of Gaza City, in an attack widely seen as an attempt to inflict massive damage on the local economy.

It is civilians who are affected

Mohammad, who lived in the building, is still haunted by memories of fleeing his home, recalling, “My apartment was on the seventh floor and we were forbidden from using the lift because we could be bombed at any minute. After hearing the tower was going to be hit, everyone was ordered to evacuate immediately. Children, older people, and women were all forced to climb down the stairs. Feeling frightened, we left the building and walked to the nearest mosque, feeling as if we were already dead.”

The attack injured many people from nearby buildings, and destroyed homes, businesses, and belongings.

Mohammad was among those whose whole life changed in a blink of an eye, “It used to be that I owned the building. Then suddenly, I found myself without a home, business, or a future. I am now homeless, and I am barely surviving on the poverty line.”

Young dreams destroyed

Al Jawhara was the beating heart for many businesses, including enterprises run by young entrepreneurs. Among them was a catering company called Betna, Our Home, which serviced a range of businesses in the area. Started by a team of talented girls with a vision to provide unique food not normally available in Gazan restaurants, Betna is struggling to re-establish itself after the attack. With so many businesses facing similar struggles, its founders have received little support. They, like many young people in Gaza, are beginning to despair.

The dire situation in Gaza has led young people to become largely disenfranchised and disenchanted, unable to fulfil their aspirations in a place in which poverty is widespread. The humanitarian situation grows increasingly acute, with more than 80% of the population (2.1 million people) relying on humanitarian assistance.

Almost half of Palestinians in Gaza have never known life without the Israeli blockade, which has been in place since 2007 and has devastated the future of an entire generation, fuelled massive youth unemployment and caused enormous damage to young people’s mental health.

An exhausting cycle of violence and human rights violations

Those who once lived in Al Jawhara are now living either with relatives or renting apartments – a situation reminiscent of their grandparents’ experience during the 1948 Palestinian exodus, in which generations lost homes, possessions, and memories accumulated over a lifetime.

Despite the strong resolve and determination Palestinians have shown, Islamic Relief believes that without a lasting solution based on the international law and justice and without ending the Israeli blockade, Palestinians will remain locked in a cycle in which civilians are exhausted, wounded, and in need of assistance, while violent acts and cruel human rights violations persist.

The conflict of May 2021 conflict received a lot of media attention, but the world’s media has moved on, yet again. With Gaza currently out of the headlines, the international community may be fooled into believing the situation is resolved – all while tens of thousands of people are without a home and living under constant oppression. Israeli attacks and restrictions on Palestinians and Palestinian civic space also escalated to unprecedented levels this year.

Islamic Relief is clear that the plight of the Palestinian people living in the Occupied Palestine Territory must be treated as urgent rather than a recurring issue. To achieve lasting peace in the region, it is imperative to end the occupation of the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory and the blockade of Gaza.

Throughout each one of the conflicts in Gaza, Islamic Relief has provided lifesaving assistance on the ground. We respond swiftly to emergencies in Gaza by distributing aid items such as medicine, food, water as well as clothing, shelter, and personal hygiene items. We help young people to set up viable micro businesses and developing apprenticeship and internship opportunities to empower young people to earn a reliable living and make a positive difference in their communities. By working closely with communities, we help them build resilience against disasters. Today, we are calling for urgent support to help deliver long-term change.

With your help, we can support families to recover from this crisis and help Palestinians live with dignity in Gaza. Donate to our Palestine Emergency Appeal now.

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