Since 3rd January, heavy bombardment in southern and south-eastern rural Idleb has caused casualties and displacement amongst civilians, as well as severe infrastructural damage.

99, 569 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are scattered across northern, central and western parts of Idleb and surrounding areas (UNOCHA).

The IR Syria team has responded to the emergency situation by activating 4 mobile units who are providing urgent health assistance and also distributed NFIs amongst affected IDPs.

Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in Syria.

Think Humanity, Think ISLAMIC RELIEF!

International humanitarian organisation Islamic Relief has added its voice to a global call urging the UK, the United States and France to demand an immediate ceasefire and lead on action at the United Nations to secure a new peace deal for Yemen.

The appeal by more than 350 high-profile individuals and organisations coincides with 1,000 days of a war that has turned the poorest country in the Middle East into the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 22 million Yemenis in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The statement warns that Yemen is “at a tipping point (and that) to prevent further catastrophe and famine, Yemen needs an immediate ceasefire; an end to all blockages on access for food, fuel and medical supplies; and investment in a new, inclusive peace process in which women, youth and diverse civil society meaningfully participate”.

Today (21 December) Islamic Relief is also asking British citizens concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen to ask their MPs to raise the conflict in Yemen with the Foreign Secretary as a matter of urgency and ensure that the UK is doing everything in its power to bring a peaceful end to this horrific crisis.

Islamic Relief is calling on the UK Government to:

• Increase its efforts to secure an immediate ceasefire
• Ensure Yemeni civilians have access to life-saving aid by pressing all parties to guarantee humanitarian access, and to remove restrictions on imports of food, fuel and medicines; including re-opening Sana’a airport
• Lead on action at the UN Security Council to urge all parties to the conflict to engage in a new inclusive peace process led by Yemenis.

Imran Madden, UK Director of Islamic Relief, said:

“We are calling on the UK Government to work through the UN Security Council to stop the fighting in Yemen and bring all parties to the conflict back to the negotiating table. Millions of women, men and children are at risk of starvation – the people of Yemen can’t wait any longer.

“The war has had a devastating impact on the lives of Yemeni civilians. Thousands have died from the violence and millions more are in need of urgent humanitarian aid as the country’s economy has virtually collapsed and its infrastructure destroyed.

“The recent blockade and escalation in violence has made an already catastrophic situation worse – there are now over 8 million Yemenis at risk of starvation. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we call on the UK Government to play its part in saving the lives of millions of women, men and children caught up in the conflict through no fault of their own.”

ENDS

 

For more information, please contact James Tweed, Media Co-ordinator, on 020 7593 3241, or email james.tweed@islamic-relief.org.uk.

Notes for Editors

• Islamic Relief is an international aid and development charity that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people in more than 30 countries, mainly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion or gender.
• Islamic Relief is one of the 13 UK charities that form the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) – see https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/AboutUs.aspx.
• In its 33-year history, Islamic Relief has helped more than 110m people across the world.
• Islamic Relief is rated 20^th in the Top 500 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the world by the Swiss-based independent media organisation NGO Adviser – see https://www.ngoadvisor.net.

Source: Islamic Relief UK

* The situation in both Gaza and the West Bank remains volatile with rockets continuously being fired from both sides.

* The Palestinian Red Crescent has said that it has provided medical assistance to over 1,795 people across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Two teenage Islamic Relief volunteers offered a helping hand to FareShare’s annual food collection to help those in need this Christmas.

Two of our keen volunteers, Hosaam Safdar and Muhit Chowdhury, both aged 19 – supported this year’s FareShare’s food drive at Tesco in Whitechapel, East London, which took place over three days in early December.

Working alongside FareShare, our volunteers were in store greeting customers as they came in with a list of items most needed by charities. The aim was to encourage shoppers to buy items and donate them to FareShare at the end of their shop.

In just three hours our volunteers collected 32 crates of food. FareShare estimates that equates to enough food to make 600 meals.

Hossam said:

“I felt absolutely amazing. It was great to see how many people just looked at our stall, and immediately brought food without us asking.

“So many people from different faiths, just coming to support the cause. I think visually, when people saw how much food was being donated, it inspired people to take part which really demonstrates the fruits of our efforts and how our efforts really inspired people.

“A lot of Muslims said to us ‘Jazakullahu khayran’ (May God reward you with good), as they were touched to see how confident we were in putting ourselves out there to people and getting them engaged in the cause.

“Alhamdulillah this is something I would love to do more often, to really get people involved in helping the homeless in our locality.”

FareShare is a national charity who work with all sectors of the food supply chain – producers, manufacturers and retailers – to help feed those who are vulnerable and in need.

Islamic Relief’s National Community Fundraising and Volunteering Manager, Zia Salik, said:

“We are pleased to support FareShare and its commitment to helping charities provide much-needed food to those in need.”

FareShare will now distribute all the groceries collected to local homeless shelters, food banks, hostels and refuges across the country to help those most in need this Christmas.

Steffie Clement, Partnerships Officer at FareShare, said:

“At FareShare we’d like to thank Islamic Relief for helping to support our annual food drive. Volunteers across the UK collected an incredible amount of food donations from the public – all going to help feed people in need.”

FareShare not only help the homeless but those experiencing food poverty, regardless of religion, race or gender. They give food to homeless hostels, children’s breakfast clubs, lunch clubs for older people, domestic violence refuges and community cafés.

 

Young people across the UK and overseas have raised the record-breaking sum of almost £1.17m for Charity Week – by far the largest total in the Week’s 14-year history.

The money raised – £1,169,285.48 so far – will be used by Islamic Relief to provide aid and assistance to vulnerable children around the world. The provisional total beats by over £100,000 last year’s then-record-breaking £1,057,220.12.

This year’s Charity Week, which ran from 23 to 29 October had the theme of Let’s Build Together. Thousands of young people fundraised in more than 200 universities, schools, colleges, youth groups and businesses across the UK, Canada, Germany, Qatar, the United States and Australia.

The record-breaking sum brought together the totals raised by students in London, the UK and internationally. The total was revealed on Sunday 26 November during Islamic Relief’s Charity Week International Annual Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow, attended by 400 guests from across the UK and from overseas.

 Imran Madden, UK Director of Islamic Relief, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement. Thousands of students and volunteers across the UK and around the world have given of their time and energy to fundraise for Charity Week, working so hard and so creatively to achieve so much for those children and young people who have so little.”

The provisional UK regional totals raised for Charity Week are as follows (as of Wednesday 29 November 2017):

• Scotland: £120,728.71
• Wales & West of England: £50,830.80
• North of England: £93,846.22
• The Midlands: £117,975.30
• London: £464,026.47
• South of England: £ 91,143.62

The volunteers raised the money by organising and participating in a wide range of activities and challenges including mountain climbing, football tournaments, fashion shows and Jungle Runs to 40 fundraising dinners, street collections in 43 city centres, bake sales, fundraising auctions and even a Mad Hatter tea and cake party. 

The fundraising auctions proved particularly popular, with a banana selling for £3,000 at the UCL dinner and auction, making it possibly the world’s most-expensive fruit. Elsewhere, 18 brick-themed cakes were auctioned for a cumulative total of £82,662 and a canvas painting at the University of Exeter sold for £2,500.

As part of Charity Week, the young people choose where the money goes to by selecting the Islamic Relief projects to benefit from the proceeds. Projects being funded by Charity Week include:

• Providing essential emergency aid to children suffering in Myanmar
• Providing equipment and medicines for multiple malnutrition clinics across Yemen
• Providing 20,000 children with screening, speech therapy and hearing aids in Gaza
• Rehabilitating and equipping a school for 1,000 children in Malawi
• Providing paediatric clinics across Somalia with medicines and equipment
• Protecting refugee children in Greece from exploitation and facilitating their migration to the UK.

 Ahthsham Ashraf, National Director of Charity Week UK, said:

“This year our volunteers have exceeded all expectations and we have had an amazing Charity Week. At our International Dinner volunteers joined us from all around the world to showcase and celebrate our amazing achievement this year.

“I am grateful and thankful to all the volunteers who have given so much to this this amazing project and made it such a success.”

 Ahmed Shaikh, International Director of Charity Week, added:

“People often complain about the youth of today and sharing examples of how different this generation is to ones gone by. However, Charity Week 2017 showed over a million examples of what the youth of today can achieve when they work together to serve orphans and needy children around the world. 

“This year the world witnessed phenomenal young people doing phenomenal things from all across Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Germany, USA, Canada, Qatar and Australia, all for the sake of those children who rely on them to unite.

“It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described the Ummah as bricks of a building each one supporting one another. This year we witnessed how these bricks came together and built hospitals, schools, malnutrition clinics and shelter for those orphans and needy children who need it most.

“We’ve built on our vision of unity, built a team and year-on-year we continue to build that hope that is changing the world. Nowhere else do you see the youth so energised, so passionate, and so dedicated to work for one amazing cause.

“We’ve celebrated what we built in Charity Week 2017 and will build on these achievements as planning for Charity Week 2018 begins now.”

Since 2003 Charity Week has raised more than £6.7m for 49 projects helping more than 140,000 orphans and needy children worldwide.

Source: Islamic Relief UK