{"id":4473,"date":"2018-01-25T12:46:49","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T04:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/islamic-relief.org.my\/sandbox_www\/?p=4473"},"modified":"2018-01-25T15:29:28","modified_gmt":"2018-01-25T07:29:28","slug":"islamic-relief-reaches-34-years-of-saving-lives-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islamic-relief.org.my\/sandbox_www\/islamic-relief-reaches-34-years-of-saving-lives-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Islamic Relief Reaches 34 Years Of Saving Lives Around The World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Islamic Relief celebrates its 34th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary last week on\u00a0 Wednesday 17 January.<\/p>\n

The international humanitarian aid organisation, which has saved and transformed the lives of more than\u00a0110 million people<\/a>\u00a0worldwide, was founded in 1984 by Dr Hany El-Banna and fellow students from the University of Birmingham in response to the famine in Africa.<\/p>\n

Within a year of its first 20p donation from Bassem, Dr El-Banna\u2019s nine-year-old nephew, Islamic Relief began its first project \u2013 sponsoring a chicken farm in Sudan and set up its first field office in Khartoum. That same year, 1985, its founders hired a small office in Moseley, a suburb in south Birmingham, and raised a further \u00a3100,000 in response to the Sudan famine.<\/p>\n

Over the next five years Islamic Relief grew rapidly and began to work in countries including Mozambique, Iran, Pakistan, Malawi, Iraq and Afghanistan, where it responded to emergencies and distributed clothes and food, offered health support and began the long-term project that is now its One-to-One Orphan Sponsorship programme.<\/p>\n

Islamic Relief has provided aid at the heart of many disasters over the past 34 years in the UK and worldwide, from the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London last summer to the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Yemen, the 2004 Asian tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 and the 2010 Pakistan floods (see list below).<\/p>\n

Our organisation now has over 100 offices in more than 40 countries. Last October Nepal became the most recent country to register Islamic Relief as an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO), and IR Nepal is in the process of establishing\u00a0a country office.<\/p>\n

Tufail Hussain, UK Deputy Director of Islamic Relief, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFor 34 years, Islamic Relief has striven to alleviate suffering, hunger, poverty and disease worldwide in line with our Islamic teachings on the value of every human life.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a community charity that was started by the community. We are very reliant on community support to enable us to continue to provide disaster aid and emergency relief in a compassionate and dignified mannerto whoever needs it most, regardless of their race, religion or gender.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, we believe disaster relief is just the beginning. Being a beneficiary-led charity helps us think about what would really make the best impact on the people we serve.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why we also carry out long-term sustainable development work to provide water,\u00a0food<\/a>, shelter,\u00a0healthcare<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0education<\/a>. Our Sustainable Livelihoods Programme helps people by supporting them to start their own business as a means of alleviating poverty and empowering individuals and communities.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOur ultimate goal is to give people the confidence to take ownership in their own development and to secure their future without the need for continuing external assistance.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe could not have achieved what we have done over the past 34 years without the ongoing support of our donors and we want to thank you for your ongoing financial support.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information, please contact James Tweed, Media Co-ordinator, on 020 7593 3219, or email<\/strong>james.tweed@islamic-relief.org.uk<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notes for Editors<\/strong><\/p>\n