As the end of year approaches, public interest in the drought and famine in East Africa has waned, but the suffering has not. USAID has reported that less than half of all Americans are aware of this crisis, which has affected 13 million people and pushed 250,000 to the brink of death. Various NGOs and governments are sending aid, and efforts have been made to coordinate efforts, but delivery is still difficult. NGOs have expressed deepening concern about adequacy of future aid due to potential cuts to the congressional foreign aid budget.
A briefing hosted by Islamic Relief USA will bring together speakers from organizations working on the ground.
WHAT: “Horn of Africa Crisis” briefing
WHEN: Noon, December 1
WHERE: Room B-340, Rayburn HOB
SPEAKERS:
Congressman Keith Ellison
(D) Minnesota
Opening Remarks
Erin Weir
Senior Advocate for Peacekeeping
Refugees International
Jeremy Konyndyk
Director of Policy & Advocacy
Mercy Corps
Anwar Khan
Vice President of Fund Development
Islamic Relief USA
Peter Buth
Director of Humanitarian Practice
InterAction
Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization with eight consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. In 2010, Islamic Relief USA programs benefited more than 3.4 million people in 34 countries, including the United States.
In addition to its 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
MEDIA CONTACT: Asma Yousef, 703.582.5880, ayousef@irusa.org