#Newsletter
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National Volunteer Week with The Blue Shirts
April 17th through April 23th marks the celebration of volunteers Yusuf Azmi This National Volunteer Week, our volunteers will continue raising funds and awareness for our brothers and sisters in need across the globe through our IRaise Ramadan campaign. They will be assisting with hot meals distributions, meal pack events, hygiene kit assemblies, packaging food boxes, and supporting our fundraising events. National Volunteer week is taking place during the blessed month of Ramadan, one of the busiest times of the year at IRUSA. With the help of our volunteers this Ramadan, our aim is to assemble around 500k meals inshAllah! IRUSA carries out vital work around the world and here at home, responding…
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Fueling Foodboxes for Ramadan
Why IRUSA puts feeding people first in the holy month Yusuf Azmi When Ramadan arrives, it puts something into focus that we can take for granted on a daily basis. Food. All of a sudden, a month in the year falls upon us and we have to go without something that we are so used to the rest of the time. Being able to eat whenever we want. Restricted to only being able to eat during the hours of sunset to sunrise. We’re reminded of how fortunate we are to be afforded the blessing of not worrying when we can and can’t eat. Ramadan’s arrival also brings something else into focus.…
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5 Step Remedy for Ramadan Prep
A few select methods to win the month of mercy Yusuf Azmi Ramadan is only a few weeks away. Aside from preparing the iftar menu, it’s crucial that we prepare ourselves mentally and physically as well. To make the most of this month and do things the right way, here are some Ramadan preparation tips you ought to consider. 1. Work on Fasting The initial two or three days of Ramadan are the most challenging, both on our bodies and willpower. It takes time for our bodies to become acclimated to the long fasting hours, along with the appetite and exhaustion that accompanies them. So, an ideal way to beat…
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Madness the Middle East
An overview of Middle East humanitarian affairs By Iqra Abid Hasan In the last three years, the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated significantly. There is a humanitarian catastrophe looming in places like Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen. Skyrocketing poverty and economic collapse threatens families across the region. Not so long ago, uprisings and wars in the Arab world dominated the agenda at United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. Almost all of those conflicts have apparently reached a stalemate with the exception of bursts of violence scattered across time. Therefore, the world’s attention has shifted to other global challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change,…
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Syria: Eleven Years Long
The eleven years since Syria fell The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan, as well as the impacts of COVID19, create a crisis within a crisis for millions of people living there. In the age of social media and interconnectedness, it would be a travesty to ignore the grim situation that is currently occurring in Syria. All that numerous Syrian children have known throughout their lives is war. These dismal conditions have adversely affected their psychological, physical, and social wellbeing, endangering the eventual fate of children who will one day need to rebuild Syria. Humanitarian groups are unable to access many conflict zones, and there is not…
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A Fatal Bronx Fire
Communities, led by West African families, mount responses and mourn A fire unseen for over 30 years It had been over three decades since a Bronx nightclub was set on fire claiming the lives of 87 people. The culprit spent his last days of a life sentence in 2016 behind bars. Early this January, countless families experience the horror of losing loved ones as a fire consumed the Twin Parks NW apartment building in the Bronx. Built as low-income housing in 1974, the building was home to ranging ethnicities. It most prominently featured West Africans who championed a tight-knit community. A Sunday morning of horror All residents of the complex…
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Afghanistan Disaster, from The Ground
IRUSA President Anwar Khan returns from Afghanistan In 2021, the rapid shift of power in Afghanistan left a vacuum for chaos among many communities still in recovery from a decades long war occurring right outside their front doors. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) filled airport landing strips and even went as far as hanging from airplanes scheduled to exit the country. The U.S. has welcomed over 70,000 refugees since. IRUSA has mobilized volunteers and family services resources to assist those experiencing losing home and homeland in such a rapid manner. Islamic Relief USA was one of the first humanitarian organizations to mobilize cultural competent resources for Afghans arriving as well as…
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Yemen in the Crosshairs
Airstrikes blanket communities and leave fatalities By Syrah Rahman The civil war that continues to devastate the people of Yemen has once more hit the headlines. Air raids in the cities of Hodaida and Sa’ada have killed over 70 people and left hundreds more wounded. This attack, the deadliest in the region in over two years, has left aid agencies horrified at the disregard for civilian lives and infrastructure in a crisis that has been dubbed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. An escalation in the crisis A recent escalation in the conflict that has been going on for more than six years resulted in the strike on January 21. Amongst…
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Two apps coming your way from IRUSA
From sadaqah jariyah to prayer times, these apps have it all for you. When used effectively, technology can help Muslims become closer to Allah. While waiting on the train or at the doctor, an Islamic app can come in handy. While you wait, you could be logging hundreds of good deeds in your book instead of staring at the ceiling! Ready, set, sadaqah We have finally completed our work with Vianova for an app dedicated to Sadaqah and Sadaqah Jariyah. This app will open a portal to sustainable, long-term giving and charitable investments as well as spiritual reminders and more. Friends with Android phones can download this version, and Apple…
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5th Annual Partnership Gala Shines Bright
Islamic Relief USA Celebrates Strong Relationships with Fellow Agencies at Annual Partnership Tribute Food insecurity at the forefront Islamic Relief USA’s work in reducing food insecurity, providing aid in the wake of natural disasters, and helping resettle refugees were among the accomplishments made possible by strong partnerships with fellow nonprofit organizations and government agencies, all of which were highlighted in the organization’s virtual 5th Annual Partnership Tribute on Wednesday, Dec 8. In the past year, these pacts have helped address hunger in Ethiopia, fires that broke out in Turkey, and the manifold humanitarian crisis following the pullout of U.S. troops and change in government in Afghanistan. The suffering of the…
