Alexandria, Va. – Islamic Relief USA, a nonprofit humanitarian and advocacy organization, has committed $500,000 toward a center for internally displaced people (IDPs) within the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
In the first aspect of the project, a center in the town of Mekelle will provide water, essential non-food items, and protection from gender-based violence, which has increased significantly in recent months. Some 600 households will receive blankets, bed mats, mosquito nets, plastic tarps, kettles, plates, cups, pits, jerrycans, handwashing jugs, basins, soap, water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and portable solar lamps. Islamic Relief’s Ethiopia office will work with the Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs in carrying out this project.
In the second part of the project, officials will work to expand the area’s water supply, a project that will ultimately benefit 3,600 people. IR will work with the region’s water bureau in helping identify construction sites and conduct geographical surveys. This work will help determine where drilling can take place in order to create three deep boreholes, install water pipes, construct pipelines, install a water tank and drainage system, as well as construct 12 gender-sensitive water points (each containing six faucets) that will be surrounded by a protective fence.
The Tigray region has been hard hit with conflict and looting since November 2020, displacing some 1.7 million people, forcing them to find shelter in schools, houses of worship, health facilities, etc. Many people of the woredas (districts) surrounding Mekelle lost their homes and property and fled for safety. Basic services such as food, water and sanitation have been scarce. The conflicts have made access to those services extremely difficult.
The bureau reports that some 100,000 IDPs are currently in Mekelle. IR established an Ethiopia office in Mekelle in May, enabling it to better coordinate its operations with other organizations to maximize humanitarian assistance.
MEDIA CONTACT
Syed M. Hassan
media@irusa.org or
(703) 370-7246; (571) 421-7032 (CELL)
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40 countries 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.