Middle East

EMERGENCIES ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST

Devastating Floods Slam Libya

On Monday, September 11, heavy rainfall brought by Storm Daniel caused two dams to burst in the city of Derna, destroying entire neighborhoods as well as major roads and bridges. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 4,000 people have died while other groups say the death toll is closer to 11,000. Thousands are injured or missing, tens of thousands have been displaced, and the damage is so severe there is no prospect of going back home.

“The death toll will increase and at least double for sure, but it could even quadruple given the force of the floods and the number of people still missing. Buildings where multiple generations of the same family all lived have been swept away. Drowned bodies are washing up on the roads, and every time the tide comes in it’s washing bodies back up. Buildings have collapsed and there are countless bodies in the rubble.

Lots of people are escaping the city, so Islamic Relief partners are starting to help people who have been displaced to a neighboring town and provide them with food and basic emergency shelter. But the numbers are staggering and much more aid is urgently needed.” – Salah Aboulgasem, Islamic Relief UK Deputy Director of Partner Development

On Tuesday, September 12, Islamic Relief launched an emergency response and is working with local partners to provide emergency relief including food and essential non-food items, such as blankets and mattresses.

Deadly Earthquake Strikes Morocco

On Friday, September 8, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Marrakech, leaving over 3,000 people dead and even more injured. The quake is the strongest to hit the nation’s center in more than a century, affecting over 300,000 people in the major city and surrounding areas. Homes have been destroyed, rescue teams are struggling to reach survivors, and families are sleeping outside in the cold in fear of aftershocks. 

Hana Elabdallaoui, part of Islamic Relief’s team on the ground, shared, 

“We distributed blankets and mattresses in a village high up in the mountains. The road was difficult so it took time to get there. When we reached the village people were sitting outside in the dark. Even though their homes are still standing, people say they can’t live there because the cracks in the walls are getting bigger every day and they’re scared they will collapse. One woman told me that her clothes are wet when she wakes up, because of the frost.”

On Saturday, September 9, Islamic Relief launched an emergency response and is working with local partners to provide humanitarian assistance including food; essential non-food items including blankets and mattresses; and temporary shelter. 

Focus on the Middle East

Decades of political instability and prolonged conflict have destroyed the communities that once thrived in the Middle East. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes and are in need of humanitarian assistance, women and children among those most affected. Three of the eight countries Islamic Relief works in – Palestine, Syria, and Yemen – have suffered greatly and are among the poorest nations in the region. With your support, we can help rebuild the Middle East.

Islamic Relief’s Legacy Across the Middle East

Islamic Relief has been working in the Middle East since 1997. Not only have we been able to provide immediate and long-term aid to those in desperate need, but we’ve also helped bring compassion, comfort, and hope back into the hearts of families across the region. Now, nearly 30 years later, the Islamic Relief global family continues to deliver life-saving aid across eight Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia, and Yemen.

A few of our interventions include:

• Food aid
• Access to clean and safe water, education, and healthcare
• Sustainable livelihood support
• Orphan family support
• Enhancing resilience for vulnerable populations including internally displaced people, refugees, and host communities
• Emergency aid for natural disasters
• Women empowerment
• Winter aid

We Need YOUR Help

Thanks to you, we’ve been able to accomplish so much. But there’s still so much more to do. By continuing to support our efforts in the Middle East, you can help make a difference in the lives of those in desperate need.