Our Mali office is distributing food and other supplies to vulnerable people in Douentza in the north of the West African country, where torrential rain and flash floods have damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes.
The floods have left many families without shelter and have also damaged food reserves that the community relies upon. We are providing food aid and supplies such as plastic sheeting and cooking utensils for people made homeless, as well as water purification tablets and mosquito nets to prevent the spread of disease.
The aid supplies being used have been funded partly through a grant of £10,000 from Islamic Relief UK, thanks to the generous support of UK donors. Donations to our Global Emergencies Fund mean that we have a contingency fund that can be used to respond swiftly to small emergencies around the world without having to launch a public appeal.
“Donations to the Global Emergencies Fund provide a lifeline to communities who are in immediate need as a result of floods and other smaller localised emergencies,” says Samina Haq, Islamic Relief UK’s Head of Programmes. “Their plight may not hit the headlines internationally, but we are aware of their needs through our presence on the ground.
“In this case Islamic Relief is one of relatively few aid agencies that have an existing presence in the Douentza area because of the longer-term projects we are running there. It is highly unlikely that other organisations from further afield will be able to get aid in because of the perilous security situation in northern Mali.”
Please keep supporting the Global Emergencies Fund – it may not be as high profile as funds like the Syria Appeal or Water 4 Life but it makes a real difference for those it supports.