UK Muslims aid Pakistani quake survivors

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Three British Muslims raised money to aid the survivors of the deadly earthquake that hit Pakistan last October.

The three Muslims, Alamin Azad, Mohammed Khalif and Tahir Ali, took the money and traveled to Pakistan to make sure that it went directly to the survivors.

“I heard about the earthquake when I was at the East London mosque,” explained Alamin, 27, of Bethnal Green in East London. “My friends and I decided to collect money for charity, and we raised approximately £3,000.”

Alamin praised the assistance he and his colleagues received from Muslim aid in Pakistan. “We got in touch with Muslim Aid, and we spoke to Ebrahimsa, the CEO,” he said, adding that “He was very helpful, and he told us how to get there, what we can do there, and what kind of help we can get on the ground there from Muslim Aid. We received a lot of help in terms of getting the money transferred to Pakistan.”

“Help came from everywhere. It didn’t matter who you were, where you were from – the intention was to help out. This is what organizations such as Muslim Aid are all about. I experienced help coming from everywhere,

“We bought some steel sheets, which were used for 10 families,” Alamin said. “We also bought shawls and socks for children, milk and other food items, and delivered them to survivors in Balakot.”

The earthquake, which had its epicenter in northern Pakistan, killed more than 73,000 people in Pakistan and Kashmir, and displaced million others. The region is now hit by the cold winter, putting further strain on the survivors.

Muslim Aid raised more than £1 million for relief work and reconstruction efforts in affected areas in northern Pakistan and Kashmir. The aid organization has provided, among other necessary relief supplies, 900 waterproof, double-ply family tents and more than 11,000 blankets.

Alamin praised the H-11 camp in Islamabad, which was established by Muslim Aid, in collaboration with the Federal Education Commission, to house survivors from Muzaffarabad. The camp include an educational complex for children from about 200 homeless families.

“There are doctors and teachers in the camp,” Alamin said. “Muslim Aid has helped people to start their own businesses in the camp, selling vegetables, clothes, and so on, amongst each other. They are training women to sew, and they provide important essentials such as schoolbooks, foodstuffs, and meals.”

Source: Reuters