(Alexandria, VA) Nov. 11, 2013—Islamic Relief USA launched an emergency appeal during the weekend to provide humanitarian aid to survivors of “Super Typhoon” Haiyan in the Philippines.
Typhoon Haiyan—called Yolanda in the Philippines—is the strongest storm to hit land in recorded history. Winds of nearly 150 mph drove huge waves into the central Philippines on Friday, Nov. 8, flattening homes and devastating towns and villages. Local officials have estimated that up to 10,000 people may have been killed, and hundreds of thousands are displaced.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the people of the Philippines as they work to recover from this devastating storm,” said Anwar Khan, chief operating officer of Islamic Relief USA. “Our teams around the world are working hard to send immediate relief to all those affected.
“We are deeply concerned for the population as they deal with the immediate effects of the Typhoon, especially in light of the preceding earthquakes that had already left them vulnerable.”
Nearly 270,000 people in the path of Typhoon Haiyan were still recovering from the effects of last month’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol province, and were still living in makeshift shelters. Large areas of the country are inaccessible, and many others left without electricity, telecommunications and even clean water. Food and medical supplies are running low. According to UNOCHA, more than 4 million people are affected in 36 provinces.
IRUSA has been providing emergency humanitarian relief for 20 years. Here’s more information about IRUSA’s Philippines relief efforts.
XXX
Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. 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. Its programs benefit millions of people each year around the world, including in the United States.
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:
[email protected]