Throughout the world, people of faith are observing Ramadan in a number of different ways. With daily reports on the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa, where some 9 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya need immediate assistance, this season of prayer, fasting and reflection comes at a particularly critical time. It is time to inspire many to act, to not only seek this immediate humanitarian assistance, but to address the root causes of hunger and development, where more than 950 million people around the world will go to bed hungry tonight.
ONE partners Islamic Relief and the Islamic Society of North America are highlighted for their work in Haiti in a recent CNN clip. Naeem Muhammad is currently on the ground with Islamic Relief in Port-au-Prince. He’s joined by Imam Mohamed Hag Magid, vice president of ISNA, and together they share how their faith has a global impact for those in need, especially in Haiti:
Here are a few more updates today from our partners and friends on the effort underway in Haiti:
American Red Cross:
“We are humbled and thankful for the outpouring of support from our blog visitors offering their services to help those in need in Haiti. We committed $200,000 last night, and increased that amount this morning to $1 million.”
AmeriCares:
“AmeriCares is sending $3 million worth of medical aid to survivors of yesterday’s deadly, 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti from our Stamford warehouse. Disaster relief modules stocked with emergency medicines and medical supplies valued at $2 million have been deployed from the Amsterdam warehouse.”
Catholic Relief Services:
“In the Dominican Republic, the country that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, CRS is preparing 10,000 packages, each containing food and water for a family of five. The first 500 are scheduled to be delivered to Port-au-Prince on Friday. Today four CRS staff members are traveling by bus from the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince as CRS begins to increase our presence in Haiti to respond to this unprecedented disaster. CRS has committed an initial $5 million (US) to help survivors of the devastating quake.”
FEED:
In 2009, WFP School Feeding reached over 400,000 Haitian children in 850 primary schools. FEED is working to maintain WFP School Feeding in Haiti during this critical time.
International Relief & Development:
IRD, a specialist in disaster response and emergency relief operations, has mobilized an emergency response team to Haiti. IRD will focus on the provision of emergency commodities, such as water, sanitation kits, medicines, hygiene kits, and shelter materials.
Islamic Relief:
Islamic Relief USA announced that it will immediately fly a $1 million shipment of aid to Haiti.
Jubilee USA:
Jubilee USA is calling on the Obama administration to take 3 specific steps as part of its comprehensive response to the Haiti earthquake.
Oxfam International:
A six-strong team of Oxfam emergency specialists has been dispatched to Haiti from the UK today to assist the 200 staff who were already stationed in Haiti when the earthquake hit on Tuesday.
World Food Programme:
“A WFP food distribution reached 3,000 people in the southern town of Jacmel on Wednesday and, despite logistical difficulties, more distributions were planned for Thursday in three areas of Port-au-Prince with high a population concentration.”
World Vision:
“On Thursday, World Vision will rush 18 metric tons of lifesaving supplies from its warehouse in Denver to Haiti, which was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake Tuesday that affected some 3 million people. Thursday’s shipment will include tarpaulins for temporary shelter, blankets, collapsible water containers, hygiene kits, and cooking sets.” Also, click here to watch an interview with Laura Blank, Media Relations Manager at World Vision.
Yele Haiti:
Wyclef Jean’s nonprofit organization, Yele Haiti, has raised over $1 million for the victims of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake from mobile donations.
This past 4th of July weekend, ONE was with over 30,000 Muslims at the Islamic Society of North America Convention engaging people to act against extreme poverty. Meeting this year in Washington, DC, the ISNA gathering brought together Muslims from the US and Canada as well as people of other faiths to share ideas, build community, and broaden engagement in the areas of faith, art, culture, and global challenges.
Along with our partner Islamic Relief, ONE was there raising awareness about global poverty and treatable, preventable disease and signing up people to act in the fight by planning a ONE Sadaqa event for their local masjids and congregations back home. In a Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) workshop, we also had some fun breaking classroom rules together to take out our cell phones and text “Sadaqa” to 23663 and join ONE.
A highlight of the gathering was Saturday night’s keynote message by ONE Sabbath supporter Pastor Rick Warren. Addressing the crowd on Independence Day, Pastor Warren stood alongside ISNA President Dr. Ingrid Mattson and challenges the “the two largest faiths on the planet” (Christianity and Islam), to work together to tackle the major problems of the world, which include poverty as well as education for all.
Check out Naeem Muhammad’s comments from Islamic Relief who was there as well:
Islamic Relief USA is committed to combating and preventing the spread of malaria and has been working in high risk areas of Mali for years, providing medicines and insecticide-treated nets for affected communities. Malaria is known to be one of the oldest diseases affecting mankind. While its specific age is still debated, its deadly affects on human beings are not.
Last month, IR USA launched its Bite the Bug campaign to help end the spread of malaria and treat those affected. The campaign is mobilizing thousands of volunteers across the United States to educate others on malaria and its adverse affects.
Focused on aiding pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under age five, Islamic Relief’s malaria treatment and prevention projects aim to:
Reduce the rate of infant mortality by 50%
Decrease school absenteeism by 25%
Reduce malaria cases among pregnant women by 25%
Reduce anemia cases in pregnant women by 15%
Stopping the spread of malaria is not as difficult as it might seem. You can sign up to join our National Campaign by visiting www.bitethebug.org. At Bite the Big you can find out how you and your friends can help to provide insecticide-treated bed nets for protection against mosquitoes as well as medicines to treat patients diagnosed with malaria.
Between 2001 and 2006, malaria deaths increased three-fold in Mali. Help bite back against malaria today!
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
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This past 4th of July weekend, ONE was with over 30,000 Muslims at the Islamic Society of North America Convention engaging people to act against extreme poverty. Meeting this year in Washington, DC, the 
