A year ago, on August 31 2015, Islamic Relief lost one of its finest. Nebras Elhelow, a young Syrian volunteer who risked his life every day to deliver aid, lost his fight for life aged 27 after having both legs amputated following massive injuries in an air strike.

The name ‘Nebras’ means ‘role model’, which could not be more fitting. He lives on in our hearts because he was an outstanding person – energetic, selfless, bravely serving the people he loved in the face of a brutal and unrelenting conflict.

The kind of work he did is a lifesaver for those who benefit from it but life threatening for those who do it.

 

See the inspiring stories of our humanitarian heroes here.

 

The story of Nebras’ life and death deserves to be told, not only to honour his memory but also to remind us of the huge human cost of the Syrian crisis – and the imperative to leave no diplomatic stone unturned in resolving what has become the worst humanitarian emergency of our time.

Islamic Relief is working harder than ever to support those in need, deep inside Syria and in the neighbouring countries where millions are living as refugees.

Thanks to the generosity of the British public and many more around the world, we have been able to assist more than 6.5 million Syrians with £140 million worth of aid since the conflict began.

 

Before the Syrian crisis began Nebras was close to completing his university degree, and looking forward to his future career.

His studies were cut short when the crisis took hold in 2011, and the devoted student became a dedicated volunteer aid worker, initiating relief work all over his home region in northern Hama.

First he volunteered to keep his local bakery going, when the staff fled in fear for their lives. He then left town himself as the aerial bombardments intensified, taking refuge in a small village in the Idlib area and living in a small single room in the shell of an unfinished house.

Early in 2014 Nebras got married and remained with his young wife in their tiny single room, living and working alongside the displaced families he served. He worked night shifts for local construction projects and bakeries so that he could continue to serve as a volunteer during the day.

Just months before Nebras was killed, his wife gave birth to a daughter. Sadly she survived less than three weeks, falling prey to illness that could not be properly treated in an area where health services had virtually collapsed.

Nebras dreamed of being buried in his home town but that simple dignity was denied him – the town was besieged and so he was laid to rest in a small village nearby instead.

A year on, the vital work he started lives on through Islamic Relief, and we will keep it going for as long as the crisis continues – with due respect and high regard for one who paid the ultimate price for helping those in need.

‘Children were convulsing’ say staff on the ground

Children walk the streets, using their hands to mask their mouths.

The pictures below show the devastation of this week’s bombardment on Aleppo, with the area around Sukkari reduced to rubble and its residents choking on chlorine.

In the second chlorine attack to hit the city, there were reports of barrel bombs being dropped by helicopters.

Speaking from the Bustan Al-Qasr neighbourhood, nicknamed “the Passage of Death” after being targeted by snipers, Islamic Relief’s media officer, Tahir Al Sabsabi, said: “Some of these barrels contained a chlorine solution.

“The smell was very strong and overpowering.

“Children were convulsing because they had breathed in the chlorine gas.

“The civil defence rescuers suffered a lot and had to be taken to hospital and medical centres because of the chlorine.”

 

 

It’s understood that more than 100 people were injured in the attack, with reports that at least one man had died.

Rescuers and medical staff have been relying on basic equipment to save lives.

Islamic Relief is working on the ground deep inside Syria since 2012 and also in neighbouring countries.

We’ve reached over 6.5 million Syrians so far.

More pictures click here —> http://www.islamic-relief.org/aleppo-chlorine-atta…

Around the world, Islamic Relief teams are rolling out a distribution mission on a vast scale.

Providing the highest quality Qurbani meat to families living in desperate circumstances, our teams know that for many people, this could be the only taste of meat they get all year.

Em Abdo fled her home in Syria after pulling her little boy from the rubble of the destroyed building and now lives in a camp.

She said: “We now spend our Eid living under the trees… Is this really Eid?!

“Truly, this is not Eid.”

 

 

This Eid Islamic Relief aims to deliver Qurbani across 29 countries so that Em Abdo, and families like hers, can share a special meal together.

Siham, from Idlib, is in the same situation, struggling to give her children a normal life in the camp.

She says: “I think they haven’t tasted meat since last year’s Eid.

“It is just not possible to have meat anymore.”

Both mothers were among 3.3 million people who benefited from Islamic Relief’s Qurbani distributions last year.

This year we hope to reach even more.

“Two days after that visit, war blew up in Gaza and days later, Yousef’s neighbourhood was hit when a ceasefire was announced for few hours I went to visit and was shocked as I could not recognize the area.

“Everything had changed. Massive destruction was everywhere – damaged houses, destroyed sewage networks, severed electricity wires, and rescue teams searching for dead bodies. We walked over the rubble, and I was hardly able to move or identify the scene around us.

 

 

“When we reached the place where Yousef used to live, rubble was everywhere putting an end to all his hopes and dreams. In front of this catastrophic scene, Yousef failed to hide his shock when finding that all his toys were broken.

“It was extremely difficult to witness his unbearable suffering after seeing his previous happiness.

“Misery can be seen in the eyes of those injured kids waiting for their parents in Gaza hospitals. Shima’a is one of those children who spent days in a hospital waiting for her mom to come, unknowing that she passed away days ago.

“What is most difficult in Gaza is that you find yourself helping the needy today fearing that you, yourself, will be one of those asking for relief tomorrow.”

For World Humanitarian Day we’re paying tribute to our humanitarian heroes in the field.

As a child welfare officer Sambou Camara helps vulnerable orphans in Mali, providing financial and psychological support.

In his previous role as a social assistant he was tasked with going door-to-door, making sure each orphan in the sponsorship programme was visited and assessed:

“I have to admit that this work requires a lot of effort. From 7am to 6pm we had to drive motorbikes in the traffic, among cars, in places where driving was not easy or possible.

“Sometimes we had to travel long distances to reach these orphans. One day I had worked hard and was reaching my limit. I was so tired that I wanted to go back home.

“When I considered the distance I had to travel (another 15km) to reach the next orphan I paused for a moment. However, a voice inside me was saying: “Come on Sambou, you can do it! You have to make this extra effort!” And I knew it was true.

“I knew I was contributing to the wellbeing of this child. I knew I was contributing to building his future. So I was motivated to move forward.

“This is an everyday battle and one which gives me considerable satisfaction, ensuring people receive the support they need. I feel humbled to serve this noble cause.”

Altogether, 1,500 meters of canals have been constructed, 1,180 meters of secondary canals built and 385 meters of old canals rehabilitated. In total, 120 hectares of land previously not used is now being irrigated thanks to this initiative. Farmers had 25 hectares of land being irrigated before the intervention, now they have 145 hectares of land being irrigated.

As part of the project, nine fish ponds, three per site, were established and covered 3,500 square meters and had 36,000 fingerlings placed within. The first fish harvest was completed last month, in July 2016, and saw an average of 100 kilograms of fish harvested per site.

The scheme also provided training for farmers. This allowed them to build their skills and capacity in managing the irrigation and fish farming business. The training covered construction and management of gravity irrigation systems and fish ponds, fish farming, agribusiness, crop management and leadership, and group dynamics.

The integrated fish farming project has had a positive impact on the lives of the farmers and their families. Now they are able to pay school fees for their children and buy household assets like iron sheets and livestock – food insecurity is a thing of the past. One of the farmers said: “if all organisations did what Islamic Relief did in our communities, there would be no hunger in Malawi.”

Islamic Relief has been providing secure livelihoods in Malawi since 2006.