Islamic Relief launches biggest ever winter campaign to help half a million people in 16 countries

Every year harsh winters ravage vulnerable communities across the world. Children freeze to death in tents or lose their lives when their flimsy homes catch fire as they struggle to keep warm.

As the winter months creep in, storms and blizzards batter many parts of the Middle East and Asia. Millions of families face the stark choice of whether they will put food on the table or gas in their heaters. Temperatures regularly fall well below freezing while heavy rains and snowstorms overwhelm towns, villages and farms alike.

To make matters worse, people in these parts of the world are often ill-prepared. Their homes are built for the scorching summer and the few items of clothing they own are simply not warm enough for winter.

With displacement now at record highs, this winter threatens to be especially dire for many.

More than 70 million people globally have had to flee their homes. Many are living in makeshift accommodation, tents or sometimes just out in the open.

That is why Islamic Relief is launching the largest ever winterisation appeal. During the coming weeks, IR will get key winter supplies to more than half a million people in 16 countries. The organization aims to spend more than £8 million ($10 million) to help the most vulnerable families through the worst of the winter months.

“As conflicts have grown longer and more protracted, needs across much of the world have risen,” said Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide.

“Every year, the surge in suffering we see during the winter months prompts us to launch large-scale interventions to get life-saving supplies to those in need. However, with the crises in Syria and Yemen showing no signs of abating and with more than a million refugees who have fled Myanmar about to live through their third winter of displacement in makeshift camps, we felt that this year our winter response had to be the biggest yet.”

Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, where the winters are notoriously harsh, will account for much of our response with almost £4 million dedicated to supporting 135,000 people in those countries alone.

“We need to ensure that we do what we can to support as many people as possible and crucially to ensure that we get supplies to them before the worst of the winter weather hits. Our hope of reaching more than 500,000 in just a few months is a sign of the amazing things we can do with your support and shows our determination to save more lives and reach more people in 2020 than ever before.”

Other target countries in the Middle East and North Africa include Gaza, Iraq, Yemen and Tunisia. In Eastern Europe meanwhile, our efforts will support people in Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Chechnya, while in Asia we will deliver lifesaving supplies in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal.

Original source: Islamic Relief
Published on 25 November 2019