Partnerships Needed in Gaza Aid Delivery
Media Contact Mohammed Ilyas | Desk x 204 | Email [email protected]
The head of UK charity Islamic Help has called on Muslim aid organisations to co-ordinate their efforts towards helping the people of Gaza.
Saif Ahmad, the CEO of Islamic Help, has written to his counterparts at charities and NGOs outlining measures to maximise the efficiency of aid deliveries in Gaza. Mr Ahmad said a co-ordinated or partnership approach was the best way to ensure beneficiaries received the help donors intended for them.
In his letter, he wrote: “We have all witnessed the horrors during the entire month of Ramadan of what our brothers and sisters in Gaza went and continue to go through. I believe that now is the time for us to all get together and pull our collective strength to assist those in such a desperate predicament.
“Between us, there is vast experience in all of these fields, experience I believe we can fully maximise to help our brothers and sisters by pooling our resources in this crisis.”
The proposals include charities and NGOs banding together with one organisation that has expertise or is already operating in a particular location delivering aid on behalf of all of them.
“The broad outline of my suggestion is that we identify a lead organisation to take care of each sector of need – food, water, education, health infrastructure - supported by the others,” said Mr Ahmad.
“For example, Islamic Help is currently engaged in supporting health infrastructure by providing essential medical supplies and working with the UN to get fuel for hospital generators. Ideally, what I am suggesting is that if others wish to provide support in the health sector, we could have discussions to agree on joint programmes that we could deliver on their behalf.
“In turn, the funds that we have raised for other activities can be channelled via a lead organisation in the other sectors based on this proposed model.
“By working together, we will be fulfilling the Islamic principle of brotherhood and unity and ensuring that the contributions of all our supporters and donors in helping the people of Gaza are utilised to their utmost efficiency.”
Mr Ahmad added that he had already received a positive response from a number of organisations and hoped that discussions could lead to joint programmes delivering vital aid to Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza has caused the deaths of 1,948 Palestinians, according to the UN High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR). Of these, at least 1,402 were civilians, including 456 children and 237 women.
Three-quarters of Gaza’s 1.8 million population is struggling for water, more than 200,000 people are still in UN-run shelters and 10 of its 26 hospitals are shut, while the only power station serving Gaza was destroyed in Israeli air strikes.
Notes to Editors Islamic Help
Islamic Help is a Birmingham-based UK registered charity with offices in London and across the world that carries out humanitarian relief work and is committed to helping individuals from all walks of life.
Islamic Help is committed to the reduction of poverty and its effects on individuals, communities and societies.
For further information on Islamic Help and its projects please visit www.islamichelp.org.uk or call Mohammed Ilyas, Communications Officer, Islamic Help, Tel 0121 446 5682, E-mail: [email protected]
