A message from Islamic Relief CEO this Ramadan

As Ramadan begins, Islamic Relief Worldwide’s CEO, Waseem Ahmad, shares a message of thanks to our supporters.

As we prepare to enter the holy month of Ramadan, our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering, unable to spend quality time with their loved ones or even to find food with which to break their fasts.

I’m writing from Egypt, where I’ve spent this week packing up some of the 28,000 lifesaving Ramadan food parcels that Islamic Relief and our local partner Misr El Kheir will be delivering to Gaza.

Waseem has been helping pack Ramadan food parcels ready to be trucked into Gaza from Egypt

The crisis just across the border in Gaza is almost too catastrophic to properly describe. Hundreds of thousands of surviving families have no homes or schools to return to. For those that are sick or injured, there is no hospital to treat them. Entire neighbourhoods are now rubble, and everyone is grieving a loved one killed.

The levels of hunger there are shocking, and it is no exaggeration to say that these parcels of nutritious staples such as rice, pasta, beans and cheese, will be a lifeline for suffering families.

Since the outbreak of the crisis in Gaza, Islamic Relief’s team and partners on the ground have been delivering aid to hundreds of thousands of people in need. We’ve cooked around 70 million hot meals, sustained a daily water supply for many, provided education for children, and much more.

But the hunger crisis in Gaza remains desperate, and our team there needs more support. Since the ceasefire, we have started to see a lot more aid coming into Gaza, but it is still nowhere near enough compared to the massive needs.

Alhamdulilah, our food parcels will provide families with sustenance for the body and spirit. It is thanks to our incredible donors that we can make this happen and we ask that you continue to give generously during the holy month.

Supporting families in need worldwide

As well as Gaza, Egypt shares a border with Sudan, where our parcels are helping to ease the burden of people experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Millions have been displaced, and famine has been confirmed in multiple areas of the country.

When I visited Sudan late last year, I was struck by the resilience of its people in the face of so much suffering. Many that I met had been forced to flee their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs only to have to relocate again and again in search of safety.

Hunger, displacement and uncertainty are also being keenly felt by our brothers and sisters in Syria. So much there has changed in recent months, but the humanitarian crisis that has gripped the country for almost 14 years remains a bitter reality for many.

Our Ramadan food parcels will reach vulnerable people in Gaza, Sudan, Syria and many more places around the world. They provide not only much needed sustenance and food with which to break fasts, but also, a peaceful moment for families to spend together, their burden eased by the generosity of our donors.

This Ramadan, when you join together with your families and loved ones, remember the many people around the world who need your help. Your kind donations and duas are appreciated more than words can express.

Last year, they helped us deliver more than 172,000 food parcels to families across 29 countries. This year, we hope to reach many more, insha’Allah. Please help us reach this goal. Donate to our Ramadan appeal now.

Jazakallah khairan

Ramadan kareem

Wasalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

After 500 days, Palestinians in Gaza suffer new daily horrors

Palestinians in Gaza are suffering daily new horrors despite the ceasefire, Islamic Relief says as the world marks 500 days of the escalation.

Hundreds of thousands of families remain homeless, forced to live in tents or temporary shelters, as more than 92% of homes have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks and reconstruction has not yet begun. Families are still digging the bodies of loved from beneath 50 million tonnes of rubble that used to be homes, schools and health clinics, and neighbourhoods are now strewn with unexploded ordnance that have blown up and killed young children as they play or walk home.

The scale of destruction is unprecedented. Entire neighbourhoods and public services have been obliterated, and livelihoods shattered, and almost everyone left grieving. Israel’s attacks have systematically targeted every aspect of Gaza’s infrastructure and social fabric in a deliberate campaign to render Gaza unliveable.

Since the ceasefire there has been a big increase in aid allowed into Gaza, but it remains a drop in the ocean compared to the overwhelming needs. Although more food is now entering, there is still a desperate shortage of tents, medicine, fuel and heavy machinery for clearing rubble and repairing the damaged roads. Gaza remains under Israel’s illegal blockade that has been in place for almost 18 years, through which Israel controls the movement of all goods and people in and out of the territory and which has turned Gaza into the world’s largest open-air prison camp.

Islamic Relief has been able to scale up its work in Gaza since the ceasefire, reaching thousands more families all over the Strip. Since October 2023 Islamic Relief and partners have delivered aid including over 67 million hot cooked meals as well as supplying water, psychosocial support and physical rehabilitation for wounded children.

Yet, the ceasefire remains dangerously fragile and is being further undermined by rising Israeli attacks in the West Bank and growing threats to force Palestinians out of Gaza, which would amount to ethnic cleansing and must be opposed. International governments must not allow the ceasefire to collapse and must do all they can to ensure it becomes permanent.

The surge in Israeli attacks in the West Bank have caused the highest levels of displacement there in decades, with 40,000 Palestinians forced from their homes over the last few weeks amid deadly and indiscriminate bombardment, ground offensives and tightening restrictions on civilian movement.

International governments must ensure there is accountability for the horrors and crimes of the past 500 days. As Israel continues to violate international law through its ongoing occupation and attacks on civilians, we continue to call on governments to end the impunity and take concrete action including ending arms sales that continue to fuel further violations of international law.

Islamic Relief believes the ceasefire in Gaza must lead to a lasting peace, where all people can live in safety and dignity, with their fundamental human rights upheld. We believe this will only be possible when there is an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. International governments must immediately outline how they will abide by the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 ruling that Israel’s illegal occupation must be ended as soon as possible

Two years on from Turkiye-Syria earthquakes, survivors are still in camps and need support

Two years on from the deadly Turkiye-Syria earthquakes, thousands of survivors are still languishing in harsh conditions in camps in northwest Syria, where they struggle to get enough food, water, healthcare or earn an income.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquakes, which struck on 6 February 2023, were the worst to hit the region in over a century, killing around 57,000 people and destroying or damaging more than 137,000 homes as well as vital services such as schools and health centres. The cost of recovery and reconstruction is estimated at up to $80 billion.

In the two years since, Islamic Relief has been helping to rebuild homes, services and livelihoods, but the charity says the pace of recovery is too slow.

Rajab Haj Salem, head of Islamic Relief’s office in Idlib in northwest Syria, said:

“It’s so sad to see the situation for earthquake survivors in the camps here.

Two years later, many of them are still traumatised by the earthquakes. They still relive the moment that ripped apart their entire lives. Many are doubly hurt by being stuck in camps and having to depend on aid. People just want support to rebuild their homes so they can leave the camps and live in dignity.

Conditions in the camps are very harsh, with shortages of almost everything, from food and water to healthcare and education. Many people don’t have dignified shelters and they can’t access jobs or a decent livelihood. In the winter months now it gets very cold and people’s tents get flooded or blown down by high winds.

Islamic Relief is providing aid in the camps and helping to rebuild homes and livelihoods, but it’s not enough. More international support is needed to help them recover. People in the camps message our staff, asking the world not to forget about them.”

Islamic Relief is working in the camps, delivering bread to over 10,000 families every day. It has built 643 homes for families, moving displaced residents out of their tents. We provide services including health centres, malnutrition clinics, education for children. We have given more than 40,000 families livelihood support including agriculture training, tools for farming, and investment to livestock. This is a priority in Syria where unemployment is a significant challenge and over 90% of people are living in poverty.

The earthquake survivors are among more than one million people living in camps in northwest Syria, with many other families made homeless by the horrific violence that people have endured over the past 14 years.

The end of the Assad government in December 2024 has brought many people hope of rebuilding a better future for Syria, but the country needs international support to recover from more than a decade of destruction and loss.

Turkiye also suffered devastating destruction from the earthquake, but there has been a much faster recovery.

Islamic Relief reaction to the announcement of a temporary cessation in Gaza

News of an agreement between Hamas and Israel is a rare moment of hope after more than 15 months of unprecedented and relentless atrocities – but the big test will be what happens next, whether it is adhered to, and whether a temporary pause becomes permanent. Lasting peace will not be possible without an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

For almost 500 days Israel has carried out daily massacres, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and starvation against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as pleas for a ceasefire have been ignored. We have witnessed unimaginable death and destruction that has left the Gaza Strip in ruins, killed tens of thousands of people and left even more with life-changing wounds. International law has been trampled over with complete impunity as Israel has targeted hospitals, schools and shelters; forcibly relocated families; and cruelly blocked humanitarian aid from reaching survivors, killing babies from malnutrition and hypothermia.

Even as these negotiations entered the final stage, dozens more Palestinians have been killed in just the past 24 hours as Israeli bombs continued to rain down on shelters.

We pray this stops now. It’s vital that this agreement is now fully and immediately implemented, and that the initial temporary pause becomes a permanent ceasefire.

The humanitarian situation is catastrophic, and we hope this agreement will enable aid agencies to massively scale up assistance to help stop the threat of famine. Islamic Relief is ready to scale up our response, but previous promises to allow more aid in over the past year have been immediately broken. All restrictions on humanitarian access must now be lifted, and the international community must hold Israel accountable if aid continues to be blocked.

This agreement must lead to a lasting peace, with justice and accountability for the horrors perpetrated against civilians. We want to see a lasting peace where all people can live in safety and dignity, and have their fundamental human rights upheld. We believe this will not be possible until the root causes of the crisis are addressed and there is an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Thousands displaced in Sudan as aid efforts ramp up

KHARTOUM, Jan 8 – Ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has displaced thousands of families across Sudan, deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Approximately 3,150 households were displaced from Kutum and Um Baru localities, North Darfur, between 23 and 25 December 2024.

In a positive development, a 28-truck convoy carrying food and medical supplies reached Khartoum, marking the first aid delivery to the capital since the war began. The supplies were delivered to Al Bashayer Hospital and other facilities, offering relief to those in need.

On 31 December 2024, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, launched the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, seeking $4.2 billion (RM18.91 billion) to assist nearly 21 million vulnerable people in Sudan.

Islamic Relief’s Contributions

Between 29 December 2024 and 5 January 2025, Islamic Relief provided vital aid to affected communities:

Food aid: Distributed food to over 5,900 people in Blue Nile State and 900 families in Gedaref State.
Health services: Treated 141 patients through mobile clinics in West Kordofan and provided financial help for 16 patients in North Kordofan.
Nutrition screening: Screened 10,715 children and 14,195 pregnant and lactating women in Central Darfur and North Kordofan, with many admitted to feeding programs.
Clean water: Supplied 287 barrels of water to 178 families in West Kordofan.
Hygiene and shelter: Distributed hygiene kits to 110 families, held awareness sessions for 4,560 households, and set up 139 tents for displaced families in Gedaref.

As the crisis worsens, Islamic Relief and other organizations are calling for more international support to help millions of people in need.

Indian Ocean tsunami 20 years on: The destruction was “like a nuclear weapon” but communities have bounced back

20 years since the Indian Ocean tsunami – one of the worst natural disasters in history, which killed around 230,000 people in 14 countries and caused billions of dollars of damage – Islamic Relief has been speaking to survivors and aid workers about their experiences.

Survivors in Indonesia, where more than 130,000 people died, have compared the devastation to the impact of a nuclear bomb and many people are still scarred by the loss and trauma they experienced, but they highlighted how the spirit and resilience of local communities – together with international support – has remarkably helped the region recover.

Professor Ede Surya Darmawan, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Islamic Relief Indonesia and early responder to the disaster, recalls: “Banda Aceh looked like it had been hit by a nuclear weapon. All of the buildings were destroyed, even the trees had been pulled out of the earth by the water.”

In Banda Aceh the tsunami killed around a third of the people, made another third homeless, and destroyed 60% of buildings. One teacher told Islamic Relief that of the 300 pupils at his school only 18 survived. Most families lost their livelihoods as agricultural land was submerged and fishing boats destroyed. Today, many people still live in poverty, but overall poverty levels are lower than before the tsunami and metrics such as infrastructure and economy have rebounded to surpass pre-tsunami levels.

Dr Muslim Yakub, a tsunami survivor and now head of Aceh Social Department, with which Islamic Relief works, says, “Looking at the enormity of the disaster, we thought Aceh would take a long time to rise again. But, exceeding everyone’s expectations, Aceh quickly rose up. What made Aceh rise from its painful and very dark condition was the spirit of the Acehnese people to change and seek a better life… because the world helped Aceh, we did not feel alone.”

The tsunami, which hit on 26 December 2004, was caused by a 9.3 magnitude earthquake under the Indian Ocean, one of the most powerful ever recorded that released energy equivalent to 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. It sparked waves that reached up to 51 metres high and 500 miles per hour.

Budi Permana, a logistics assistant at Islamic Relief Indonesia in Aceh, lost his 13-month-old child in the water. He recalls the moment the waves struck:

“I thought it was the end of the world because everything was covered with water. My wife saw from a distance that the water was very, very high, and then I tried to lift my child and I went up to the second floor [of my house]… after that suddenly my house was surrounded by water and collapsed, and we were scattered…

“It was like I was being rolled by the waves, like in a washing machine. I was flipped with my head back, like a somersault, and sometimes I would touch the ground and sometimes I was thrown up. It was like being flipped up and down. In those moments, I saw so many things happening – small children who were lost, small children who entered the whirlpool… Why did I survive? I survived because I tried to hold onto a sofa that happened to pass by me. I immediately grabbed it, and I survived. The sofa stopped at a coconut tree, and I thought that if I didn’t grab the tree, I would be taken out to sea.”

The global aid response to the tsunami was unprecedented for a natural disaster, with around $6.25 billion in donations to the UN central relief fund which assisted 14 countries. Islamic Relief aid workers deployed to the response recall the smell of dead bodies striking them as soon as they stepped off the plane.

Haroon Kash, who was deployed from the UK to support Islamic Relief’s emergency response in Indonesia, recalls: “The smell of dead bodies lingered everywhere I went over the next 5 weeks.”

In the first week following the disaster, Islamic Relief distributed food, tents and drinking water to survivors in the worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.

Over the following months and years Islamic Relief helped people rebuild their livelihoods and constructed new infrastructure that is still in use today 2 decades later. In Aceh alone this included over 1,000 new homes, 27 health clinics, a hospital and 23 schools.

Marlina is director of a healthcare centre in Aceh that was built by Islamic Relief after the tsunami and is today staffed mostly by women. She recalls working to prevent the spread of diseases in the aftermath, but being particularly worried about the psychological impact:

“The main health issue at that time was with mental health. The community was very depressed… they felt as if they hadn’t just experienced a tsunami, but the end of the world. They stopped caring about their own health. Even the healthcare workers were also traumatised.”

Gradually, Marlina says, people’s mental health began to recover as they moved out of their tents and into temporary, and later, permanent homes.

In Indonesia alone some 30,000 children were orphaned by the tsunami and Islamic Relief provided many orphaned children and their surviving relatives with long-term support for schooling and healthcare. Today many of them are now thriving as graduates, teachers, civil servants or running small businesses.

Nur was 10-year-old when the tsunami hit and killed her parents. The support from Islamic Relief’s orphan sponsorship programme helped her complete her education and open a tailoring workshop with her friend.

“Alhamdulillah, the support from Islamic Relief was very beneficial to me as I could complete my degree. I am proud. Although we couldn’t ask our parents for support, we can now stand on our own 2 feet with this business.”

Today 73% of Indonesia’s schools are still located in disaster-prone areas. At Islamic Relief-supported schools children learn what to do in case of emergencies and practice evacuation protocols, but there is still more that can be done.

Budi Permana says: “We must remember our past, the bad things in our past… We cannot forget because it’s our story. But we can make a distance from it. I also have a message for the government. We have to prepare for the next disaster, including through putting energy into logistics and spreading knowledge about disasters among the people.”

Notes

For more information, see https://islamic-relief.org/indonesia-tsunami/

The tsunami primarily affected several Asian countries but also impacted parts of Africa and the Middle East. The most severely affected countries were Indonesia (131,028 people killed), Sri Lanka (31,229), India (16,260) and Thailand (5,395), but many other countries also suffered damage and loss of life including Somalia (176 dead), the Maldives (82), Malaysia (75), Myanmar (61), Tanzania (10), the Seychelles (3), Bangladesh (2), South Africa (2), Kenya (1) and Yemen (1).

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