After distributing Iftar packages during the Holy month of Ramadhan in different districts across the country, Islamic Relief Malawi has donated food relief items to 750 households in Chikwawa district in the area of Sub-Traditional Authority Ndakwera.

Speaking with Malawi Muslims official Website, Islamic Relief Head of Programs Sheirfa Mia said this is the response towards the drought that has affected many parts of the country.

“We have decided to come and distribute the relief items to the families who are in need of food and we are giving them a package which contains 40kgs Maize flour, 5kgs beans, 1kg salt and 1 litre of cooking oil,” said Mia

The donation which was funded by Islamic Relief Malaysia had a total budget of 20,000 Euros which is equivalent to 15.6 Million kwacha and the organization has promised more support to the poor families in the country.

 

Here you are! one of the aged women getting her share from one of the Islamic Relief Malawi officials

“A lot of people in the country need more support in terms of food as you know that the country is in hunger crisis following the drought and we want to assure people that we will continue assisting them if we continue receiving funds from our donors and we will try to use that funds for the intended purposes to serve the lives of many people,” said the Head of Programs.

 

 

Sherifa Mia during the case study in Chikwawa district

Asked why they decided to distribute the relief items in the Lower Shire among all the districts she said; “Its because 90% of rural communities in Chikwawa need food aid compared to the average of 50% for the Southern region, Its Chikwawa and Nsanje whose figures are at 90% and we chose Chikwawa just because Islamic Relief Malawi is currently implementing a food security project to complement with our development works.”

Source : http://www.malawimuslims.com/featured/islamic-reli…

Torrential rains have resulted in flash floods across the northern town of Douentza, Mali, where hundreds of homes have been destroyed or damaged.

The floods struck soon after heavy rains began battering the region on 18 July 2016, and have left many families without food and shelter. The food reserves that villages in and around Douentza rely upon in case of emergencies have also been ruined.

Islamic Relief is one of relatively few aid agencies already operating in Douentza, with longer-term projects running in the area to support those most in need. Due to the ongoing security situation in the northern parts of the country, it is highly unlikely that any other NGO will be able to access this area.

Their plight may not hit the headlines, but our existing presence on the ground has allowed us to remain abreast of the situation. After conducting an initial needs assessment, the team in Mali began distributing food aid and essential items to the affected villages, including plastic sheets, cooking utensils, water purification tablets and mosquito nets to prevent the spread of disease for those left homeless by the floods.

Islamic Relief has been helping people affected by civil war and natural disasters in Mali since 1997.

New facilities for Chitral community enhance safety and gender justice

Islamic Relief has been tackling gender injustice with a bathroom building scheme in a remote area of Pakistan.

 

 

In the Himalayan Bamburat Valley, in the northern district of Chitral, the Kalash indigenous group is Pakistan’s smallest religious minority, with a community of less than 5,000.

Last year, when Chitral was hit by recurring disasters (first floods, then an earthquake) homes and other infrastructure were destroyed, including washing facilities, leaving women and girls vulnerable and without shelter.

With support from UNICEF, Islamic Relief implemented a project to repair, replace and upgrade the damaged bathrooms, giving more than 500 women access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Local teams also rolled out an interactive communication campaign emphasizing the risks girls and women are exposed to when relieving themselves outside or traveling long distances to fetch water.

The programme is part of Islamic Relief’s work to provide women-focused solutions to accelerate gender equality.

 

New irrigation kit saves water and boosts crops for women in Mandera.

Women in a remote corner of Kenya are using solar technology to revolutionize the way they farm.

The town of Mandera, on the north-eastern border with Somalia and Ethiopia, is one of the most hard-to-reach parts of the country, with 88% of people living below the poverty line.

But a three-year programme by Islamic Relief is supporting small-scale farmers – mainly women – to secure new irrigation kits, which save water and boost crop yields.

Jama Hanshi, Islamic Relief’s regional desk co-ordinator in Kenya, said: “The road to Mandera is unpaved and it takes two to three days to get there by road from Nairobi.

 

 

“The farmers there have been relying on diesel-generated water pumps which are expensive and use up most of their savings, but this project is replacing those pumps with solar-powered irrigation systems.

“The amazing thing about this drip irrigation kit is that it uses a minimal amount of water.

“In an area where water is scarce and where people have been badly affected by drought, being able to get the maximum output from the water available is crucial.”

Funded by USAID, over the next three years the $500,000 (£390,000) scheme will support 3,000 farmers directly, benefiting a further 18,000 people indirectly.

The solar kit pumps water from boreholes, rivers or lakes into a storage tank before using a drip irrigation system at optimum times in the evening and early morning.

A Nairobi-based company designed the equipment to make water savings of up to 80%.

Islamic Relief is encouraging the farmers to team up, forming Group Loans and Saving Associations (GLSAs) where they can pool their resources and buy the kit collectively.

Last year, Islamic Relief reached over 1 million people in 31 countries across the globe.

This year, we provided food security to even more of the world’s most vulnerable families by distributing 200,000 food packs to approximately 1.5 million people.

Below is a snapshot of our 2016 Ramadan food pack programme across the globe:

 

For families in Iraq, Syria and Somalia hit by crippling conflict or floods, a Ramadan food pack can provide a lifeline.

Our annual Ramadan campaign helps us connect with people around the world, as our teams on the ground distribute food packs in the areas of greatest need.

Each one of the 200,000 parcels we have delivered over the last month has helped individuals and families that are struggling to make ends meet.

And some of our distributions have provided a lifeline in communities where conflict or disaster has left people stranded and unable to support themselves and their loved ones.

In Iraq, our field office has distributed 3,000 parcels to families who left everything behind and fled the city of Fallujah.

Many men and boys were arrested in their bid to escape, leaving families divided and desperate, without shelter, sanitation and even basic food and water.

 

In Syria, where more than half the country’s 22 million population have left their homes in search of safety, our staff have delivered 22,500 food packs, including a distribution in the city of Aleppo.

 

With the recent increase in fighting, the infrastructure of Aleppo – including homes, schools and hospitals – has crumbled and the city’s damaged main water supply has left civilians relying on bottled water.

Surrounded by rubble and in the shadow of destroyed buildings, our field staff have delivered goods to the people who need it most.

One of our first distributions was in the Somalian town of Beledweyne where floods forced 70,000 people to flee their homes.

After reports of families living on rooftops, Islamic Relief was one of the few organisations that managed to access the most hard-to-reach areas.

Our field staff delivered 1,000 food packs there, using “improvised canoes” to get to people who had been stranded.

Thank you for helping us to help people whose lives have been turned upside down this Ramadan.

 

Food distribution in Amriyat Fallujah

Food distribution in Amriyat Fallujah

Food distribution in Amriyat Fallujah

Food distribution in Aleppo

Reaching stranded families in Beledweyne, Somalia