-
Pakistan: Road to Recovery
Inside Islamic Relief USA’s Recent Trip By Nabeeha Shah Pakistan has been facing the worst climate disaster in 30 years. The rise in global temperatures has triggered unprecedented glacial melting and monsoon rains, causing disastrous floods in all four provinces of the country including Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab. One third of the country is submerged and a staggering 33 million people have been affected by this devastating crisis. Up to 2.2 million people have lost their homes and are without clean water or food, forced to spend their days hungry under the open sky. Over 1.1 million livestock have perished and more than 4.4 million acres of crops…
-
East Africa Faces Threat of Worst Famine in Decades
East Africa Emergency By Nabeeha Shah The threat of famine looms over countries across East Africa including Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia as conflict and climate induced drought have left nearly 20.5 million people without food. The number is projected to increase to between 23 and 26 million by February 2023 if immediate action isn’t taken. Over 8.9 million livestock, a main source of food and livelihood for farming communities across the region, have perished. The struggle to find food and water has forced hundreds of thousands of people across the region to migrate in order to survive, further escalating the crisis. The impact of the war in Ukraine is also…
-
Hurricane Ian: A Reflection by an IRUSA Blueshirt
Hurricane Ian By Samiya Majid My motivation for wanting to be a doctor [isn’t traditional.] Instead, it comes from my desire to be a more helpful volunteer. I’ve always loved volunteering. I think it just made me feel useful and more fulfilled in my heart. In middle school, I would spend my lunches going to the library to help organize the books. My [desire] to [become] a doctor came from watching videos of Doctors Without Borders and seeing the incredible work they did, [and imagining] the fulfillment [they] felt. I knew I wanted to do [something similar] with my life, but I stuck to local volunteer opportunities, and hoped for…
-
IRUSA Attends the 2022 Congressional Black Caucus
The 51st Annual Legislative Conference By Syed M. Hassan Staff from Islamic Relief USA attended the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference at the Washington Convention Center in D.C. between September 28-30. IRUSA had a booth set up at the marquee event, which featured top lawmakers, media personalities, nonprofit leaders, and faith leaders, among others. IRUSA’s ties to the Black community stretches back to its founding nearly three decades ago, and has only increased during that time. Many of the community-based organizations that received support during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic are entities run by members of the Black community. The pandemic has been known to…
-
Celebrating Islamic Relief Volunteers
The Power of Our Blueshirts By Nabeeha Shah Our vision at Islamic Relief USA is a world free of poverty. We work to provide relief and development to help empower communities in need. And our volunteers help make it possible. Our Blueshirts are the lifeblood of our organization. They come from all walks of life, dedicating their time and energy to help their brothers and sisters both around the world and here at home. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “Be merciful to those on the earth, so the One above the heavens will be merciful to you.” Across the US, our team has helped contribute to Afghan refugee resettlement, meal packs,…
-
Islamic Relief in Asia – Our Commitment to Providing Relief to those in Need for Almost 30 Years
By Yusuf Azimi Since 1993, Islamic Relief has been working in Asia, committed to providing emergency relief and integrated programming to those in need. During this time, the region has experienced numerous floodings, landslides, droughts, earthquakes and recurrent disease outbreaks, as well as conflict and economic related disasters. Throughout that time, we’ve established a base in several countries throughout Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Building teams on the ground capable of providing effective and efficient support rapidly, whenever a crisis arises. As we look towards our 30th year of working in Asia, we recognize that although considerable progress has been made, there are…
-
The One Journey Festival: A Refugee Advocate’s Dream Event
By Aseel Elborno On June 25, 2022, Islamic Relief USA sponsored and participated in the One Journey Festival for their third annual celebration of refugees. The day was filled with music, dance, storytelling, food, arts & crafts, technology, and more. One Journey was founded in 2017 by Wendy Chan and Vanda Berninger, two American immigrants who wanted to share their positive, welcoming experiences as newcomers with others. Today, the One Journey Festival is an annual event that attracts greater visibility and larger crowds each year. The entire event is organized and run by volunteers and supported by NGOs, multicultural communities, faith communities, government and academia work. IRUSA advocates and volunteers…
-
World Refugee Day is An Opportunity to Celebrate Inclusivity
World Refugee Day By Minhaj Hassan Lately, it seems hardly a day goes by where you don’t hear about refugees. Whether it’s the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, or other countries where instability has taken hold (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, among others), forced displacement has become more common than anyone would like. It is a sad story whenever someone is forced to leave their homeland due to conditions or circumstances beyond their control. Islamic Relief USA has long helped refugee populations and has especially stepped up the past year. After people from Afghanistan managed to reach the United States following the end of a decades-long war last August, IRUSA’s volunteers helped assemble…
-
Sri Lanka On the Brink of Catastrophe
Economic Disaster and Humanitarian Crisis By Yusuf Azmi Sri Lanka is in the middle of the worst economic crisis in its history. Skyrocketing inflation rates, depleted foreign exchange reserves, and surging food prices are amongst the numerous issues causing the country’s economic state to spiral. The government has been forced to default on its loan payments for the first time, and months of widespread protests against their policies, which were largely peaceful, have started to turn violent in recent weeks resulting in eight fatalities and over 200 people wounded. Since emerging from a grueling 26-year civil war, Sri Lanka experienced an exponential rate of growth, in large part due to…
-
The Spiritual Significance of Dhu al-Hijjah
Dhu al-Hijjah By Yusuf Azmi What do the start of Hajj, the sacrifice of Qurbani/Udhiyah, the celebration of Eid al-Adha, and the best 10 days of the year all have in common? They all occur during the first 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah. During the twelth and final month of the Hijri calendar, the first 10 days of Dhu al-Hijjah hold a special significance in the hearts of every Muslim. The importance of these days can be found in both Qur’an and Hadith. “By the dawn; by the ten nights” (al-Fajr 89:1-2) It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “There are no days during…
