With more than 100 offices in 40 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is one of the largest Islamic NGOs in the world. The nonprofit organization provides critical disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations worldwide, regardless of religion, race, or gender. Islamic Relief USA, founded in 1993, is one of the many independent members of the global Islamic Relief family. While one of its core beliefs, aligned with Islamic teachings, is that “charity starts at home,” IRUSA is proud to support important humanitarian interventions worldwide.
IRUSA funds lifegiving programs and services and maintains an active presence mostly in underdeveloped nations with people living in extreme poverty, including Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and Sudan. Poverty also affects one in five people in Europe, despite the fact that the continent is largely composed of developed nations. To that end, IRUSA supports interventions in the following European nations.
Emergency response and health aid in Bosnia
IRUSA has been tied to Bosnia since the organization launched out of Los Angeles, California, in 1993. War broke out that same year in Bosnia and, the following year, IRUSA supporters in LA raised $3,000 for war relief efforts, including clean water, food aid, and clothing. IRUSA volunteers also visited Bosnia to help rebuild schools, homes, and places of worship.
While the Bosnian war in Srebrenica was more than two decades ago, people are still feeling the aftermath of the devastating massacre. The country lost a generation of husbands and fathers, and the bodies of some are still being excavated to this day. Because of this, single mothers are the primary earners in one of four Bosnian households. Understanding that these families face a greater risk of poverty than male-led households, Islamic Relief continues to provide support in areas such as health care, sustainable living, and emergency response to floods and other disasters. It also sponsors orphans in Bosnia.
Long-term development in Kosovo and Albania
Conflict and political instability have contributed to poor living conditions in Albania and Kosovo. Islamic Relief has been actively supporting people in both countries for more than a decade, working to ensure that they have sufficient food, access to clean water, and suitable clothing and resources for cold and harsh winters.
Islamic Relief first intervened in Albania in 1991 during the Yugoslav wars and has since prioritized long-term development interventions with the goal of pulling people out of poverty. It has the same agenda in Kosovo, where nearly 25 percent of the population experiences poverty and unemployment rates, particularly among women and young people, have risen considerably. It has been active in Kosovo since 2013.
Islamic Relief has responded to natural disasters in both countries, providing people affected by floods in Albania with furniture, mattresses, and stove heaters. It also promotes sustainable living through a goat farming program in Kosovo and livestock provisions for women in Albania.
Helping families survive winter in North Macedonia
The winter months are incredibly difficult for many people in Europe, especially those living in extreme poverty. Many people struggle to stay warm, while others have to choose between warmth and providing food for their families. This is the reality in North Macedonia, where political instability and frigid winters have exacerbated the harsh consequences of poverty.
Islamic Relief first intervened in North Macedonia in 2017, providing more blankets and firewood, among other items, to more than 200 people to help them survive the harsh Macedonian winters. This is the organization’s primary focus today in North Macedonia and throughout Europe for the next two years: “Our hope is to help improve the experience of the winter season, reduce nutritional deficiency, and reduce cold-related illnesses through in-kind donations, vouches, and cash assistance.”
IRUSA is also hoping to increase access to health services and clean water and sanitation in North Macedonia, with the goal of benefitting more than 15,000 people by 2025.
How Islamic Relief has helped people in other European countries
Islamic Relief is working in four of the five poorest European nations and has specific goals for each over the next few years. However, the organization has also provided relief and humanitarian assistance in the past to people in Chechnya, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Serbia.
Islamic Relief was among the first humanitarian organizations to be on the ground in Chechnya following the Second Chechen War and has helped refugees fleeing violence to safely settle in Germany and Greece. Moreover, through the support of its donors and Catholic Relief Services, IRUSA has delivered essential items, including hygiene kits, food, and warm clothing to around 2,000 refugees in Serbia.
In Italy, Islamic Relief volunteers responded within 12 hours after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake on August 24, 2017, delivering essential items to those in need. Two people died and more than 20 people were injured as a result of the earthquake.