Alexandria, VA – Islamic Relief USA, a non-profit humanitarian and advocacy organization, has partnered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to help distribute fresh, high-quality meat in the Gaza region, as part of IRUSA’s annual Qurbani program.
Some 4,400 families in Gaza are expected to benefit from the program. Each family will receive 7 kilograms of meat. Priority will be given to families who face a high degree of food insecurity and who have never received assistance from the organizations in the past.
“We greatly respect the work of UNRWA and are proud to call them a partner during the Qurbani season, helping distribute meat to families who otherwise would not have access to it,” said Sharif Aly, chief executive officer of Islamic Relief USA.
“Qurbani is of great significance to Muslims the world over. We are honored to serve Palestine refugees on this occasion in collaboration with Islamic Relief USA,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Islamic Relief USA for partnering with the Agency to support Palestine refugees.”
The meat must be high quality. Guidelines make clear that the animals must be healthy, free from blindness and not have broken teeth or horns, for example. Once slaughtered, the meat is then packaged and distributed to people in need from around the world, including the United States, during the Eid-al-Ada season.
Qurbani not only helps fulfill an Islamic tradition that honors Prophet Ibrahim’s commitment to God. It also provides meat to many people who don’t get much of it, if any, for much of the year, largely because of inaccessibility or because it’s too cost-prohibitive and families need the money for other essentials. Many subsist on non-meat products, which could put them at risk for inadequate nutrition.
Last year, Islamic Relief USA’s Qurbani program helped provide meat to more than 700,000 people in 31 countries. People can make donations to the Qurbani program by visiting the website, irusa.org/qurbani.
Syed M. Hassan
media@irusa.org
(703) 370-7246
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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.
