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Blueshirts Shine Bright in 2020
Volunteers show inspiring resilience all year Hitting the Ground Running for MLK Day of Service 2020 For MLK Day 2020, more than 400 Islamic Relief USA volunteers spent a day packaging an outstanding 100k meals that were distributed domestically to various food banks and shelters. The interwoven fabric of love and legacy that day was the eternal flame, the burning stone that sealed the opportunity and helped capture the importance of service and empowerment. Our volunteers painted the moving picture that a few hundred hearts are capable of going above and beyond. That’s what gives our mission its energy to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of…
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Ethiopian Refugees Driven into Sudan
Thousands of people in need after fleeing conflict in Ethiopia When torrential rains lashed Sudan in recent months, the Nile River burst its banks. Sudan’s government declared a State of emergency, as the river reached 17.43 meters — the highest level in 100 years. Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes in the middle of the night. The ferocious rains and subsequent floods killed over 100 people, destroyed 175,000 homes, and left almost 900,000 people homeless. The widespread impact wreaked havoc on the local community with families cut off or displaced. Our response The Islamic Relief (IR), team on the ground provided life-saving assistance to 435 families affected…
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Day of Dignity 2020 is a Success
Day of Dignity helps thousands during coronavirus pandemic As one of Islamic Relief USA’s most well-known programs, Day of Dignity took place in several locations this year, despite the present coronavirus pandemic that has altered much of daily life. It was able to hold these events by adapting to public health guidelines, which includes mask wearing, practicing social distancing of at least 6 feet, and slightly altering its set-up by implementing a drive-thru or drive-in format. Between Oct. 3 and Nov. 15, a total of 19 Day of Dignity events took place in 17 cities nationwide. Among them were Baltimore, Md., Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Minn., Rochester, N.Y., Toledo, Ohio, and…
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Bring Warmth this #GivingTuesday
First they faced COVID-19, now freezing cold Winter is Cruel to Those Most Vulnerable Every winter carries the threat of blizzards, major ice storms, extreme cold, flooding, and even tornadoes. But the harsh winter conditions are even more challenging for people already suffering from displacement, conflict, poverty, without warm clothes, food or water. The harsh winter forces vulnerable people to choose between buying food to eat or fuel to keep warm. IRUSA commitment to Winter Aid Therefore, Islamic Relief USA works all year round to build programming. To help vulnerable people living in poverty, conflict or displacement. To better prepare them for the icy winter conditions. Because of Islamic Relief…
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India Faces Floods
Torrential rains submerge thousands of homes in Hyderabad, India Non-stop rain Heavy rain lashed large parts of India, including Hyderabad, over the last week swelling several rivers to dangerous heights, flooding large parts of the city and submerging homes and cars. The deluge uprooted trees, electricity poles and damaged over head cables. According to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and local Indian media: around 40,000 homes are affected — with thousands plunged into darkness without electricity and internet connection which remains unrestored. The aftermath In some areas water levels started to recede, but not without leaving a trail of destruction including, heaps of slush along with organic and inorganic waster left inside the gutted homes.…
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Our #WorldFoodDay Together
Why #WorldFoodDay Matters #WorldFoodDay is celebrated in October each year by the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. This year marks not only the 75th anniversary of the event but a turning point in food security worldwide in light of the COVID -19 pandemic. In recognition of World Food Day, as we are forced to consider our food choices and improve food security for all, Islamic Relief USA joins other humanitarian organizations concerned about food security worldwide. Complicated by COVID-19 As the COVID-19 crisis pushed already food insecure communities to the brink. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned: in countries already suffering from a humanitarian crisis, up to 100% of essential…
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Sudan Still Needs Us
Floods in Sudan have displaced thousands, who are suffering by the hour For many of us, 2020 has been a year that we’ll never forget. For hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan that statement holds even more significance as 2020 has brought with it some of the worst flooding the region has ever seen. Typically prone to flooding around this time of year, water levels in the Blue Nile reached levels of over 17 metres, levels which haven’t been seen in over a century. The result of intense monsoons in neighbouring Ethiopia, the banks of the river burst and have caused widespread flooding with a devastating impact. Sudan is…
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Our Fight Against Global Floods
Multiple Regions around the are experiencing catastrophic flooding. Flooding like so many natural disasters rearranges lives violently. It can turn an evening into the most devastating experience of our time on earth. And it can turn the morning into a seemingly never-ending nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have been displaced due to massive floods caused by torrential rains. The floods have consumed thousands of homes altogether and even taken the lives of community members. Sudan Over 99 people have fallen victim to flooding in Sudan as the final death toll is till being assessed. The catastrophe has affected 500,000 people leaving countless…
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The Campaign isn’t about Water, It’s about Life
Water projects take center stage in preserving life Water is a gift from Allah, a blessing for all of us, every man, woman and child. A form of sustenance that allows us to stay hydrated, and healthy. This is highlighted by the fact that the human body is made of up to 60% water. There is no way around it, water is crucial to our survival, water is life. Now, imagine you didn’t have readily available access to water, to this most basic, most crucial of commodities. Imagine every day, you have to worry about how you’re going to find water, and when you find the water you have to…
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Until We All Win
Thousands of hot meals in partnership with Nike “We underestimate that when a hot meal comes it’s so much easier for families to come together than have them worry about how to make a meal. It’s something that I thought was impactful,” said Ahmed Aduib, IRUSA Midwest Regional Manager. We have been working with Nike to deliver hot meals in the Chicago area. Islamic Relief USA is among 20 nonprofit organizations across North America to receive a Nike Until We All Win Grant that will help our communities to navigate the difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic. This funding will help us distribute more than 2000 hot meals, via a pre-approved…
