Editing Islamic Relief (section)

== History ==
Islamic Relief was founded in 1984 by [[Hany El-Banna|Dr Hany El-Banna]] and fellow students from the [[University of Birmingham]]. From its first donation of 20p, the charity raised £100,000 to help those affected by the famine in Sudan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2014 |title=Justine Greening's speech to mark 30 years of Islamic Relief |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/justine-greenings-speech-to-mark-30-years-of-islamic-relief |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> Since then, Islamic Relief has grown into an international humanitarian organisation with an annual income of hundreds of millions and a presence in more than 40 countries across [[Europe]], [[Africa]], [[Asia]], the [[Middle East]], and [[North America]].
----

=== 1990s ===
In 1993, Islamic Relief worked with UK-based newspaper [[The Independent]] on an appeal to raise funds for relief efforts during the Bosnian War.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994-01-19 |title=Bosnia Appeal: Faith, hope and charities |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/bosnia-appeal-faith-hope-and-charities-1407841.html |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> The appeal raised £37,000 for Islamic Relief and supported aid delivery throughout the conflict, including during the [[Siege of Sarajevo]].

In 1994, Islamic Relief became the first Muslim NGO to receive UK government funding when it was awarded £180,000 to support a training centre in [[North Kordofan|North Kordofan, Sudan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-17 |title=Islamic Relief reaches 34 years of saving lives around the world - World {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/world/islamic-relief-reaches-34-years-saving-lives-around-world |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}}</ref>

The following year, the charity was the first international relief agency on the ground delivering aid to the [[Chechnya|Chechen]] capital, [[Grozny]], after war broke out in the territory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Taking A Smile To The World {{!}} Feature Interviews {{!}} Features {{!}} emel - the muslim lifestyle magazine |url=https://www.emel.com/article?id=66&a_id=1568 |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.emel.com}}</ref> Islamic Relief supplied food, blankets, clothes and medicine to those affected by the fighting.

Islamic Relief became a signatory of the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's]] Code of Conduct<ref>{{Cite web |title=ICRC {{!}} International Committee of the Red Cross |url=https://www.icrc.org/en |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=www.icrc.org}}</ref> in 1999, committing to this international standard of how to provide aid to people affected by emergencies in a non-biased manner. Humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence are the code's core principles.

=== 2000s ===
In 2002, Islamic Relief signed a Framework Partnership with the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department,<ref>{{Cite book |date=2002 |title=Responding to new needs ECHO 2002 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/media/publications/annual-review_2002_en.pdf |pages=23 |publisher=Office for Official Publications of the European Communities |isbn=92-894-5495-4}}</ref> recognising the charity's capacity to deliver aid to a high standard.

Islamic Relief purports to have been one of the few international aid agencies assisting people in Iraq when war broke out in 2003, providing £9 million worth of aid to people in need.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cater |first=Nick |date=2003-03-07 |title=Islamic Relief |url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2003/mar/07/disasterresponse1 |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

In late 2004, Islamic Relief responded to the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami, assisting some of the hardest-hit communities. It was Islamic Relief’s largest-scale emergency response at the time and marked the beginning of the organisation’s work in Indonesia.

In 2005, Islamic Relief launched its biggest-ever operation in the [[United States]], supporting those affected by [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Muslim communities in the U.S. are becoming more involved in disaster relief projects |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/muslim-communities-in-the-us-are-becoming-more-involved-in-disaster-relief-projects/2020/11/06/f9400d38-1f7e-11eb-90dd-abd0f7086a91_story.html |access-date=2022-10-18 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> That same year, the charity joined the UK's [[Disasters Emergency Committee]] (DEC). It remains a member, along with 14 other major charities.

=== 2010s ===
In 2010, Islamic Relief launched a major relief and reconstruction operation in [[Pakistan]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service - News - Pakistan floods: the struggle to bring aid to the people in Nowshera |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/08/100809_pakistan_malik_wt_sl.shtml |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> after the country was hit by the worst floods in living memory at the time. Its work benefited some 428,000 people in more than 580 villages, the charity has reported.<ref>{{Cite web |title=38 interesting facts about Islamic Relief: How many do you know?|url=https://islamic-relief.org/news/38-interesting-facts-about-islamic-relief-how-many-do-you-know/ |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=islamic-relief.org}}</ref>

2014 saw Islamic Relief begin a partnership with the [[Lutheran World Federation]] (LWF) – the first of its kind between global Islamic and Christian humanitarian organisations. The agreement formalised a programme of joint humanitarian project, policy, research and advocacy, focusing specifically on faith and protection issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Geneva |date=2014-08-25 |title=LWF and Islamic Relief Sign Memorandum of Understanding |url=https://www.lutheranworld.org/news/lwf-and-islamic-relief-sign-memorandum-understanding |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=The Lutheran World Federation |language=en}}</ref>

The decade was punctuated by the conflicts in both Syria<ref>{{Cite web |title=Situation Syria Regional Refugee Response |url=https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=data.unhcr.org}}</ref> and Yemen<ref>{{Cite web |title=Country - Yemen |url=https://data.unhcr.org/en/country/yem |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=data.unhcr.org}}</ref> which according to the [[United Nations]] has left a combined 29 million people as refugees.

=== 2020–present ===
The [[COVID-19 pandemic|spread of COVID-19]] impacted Islamic Relief's work around the world, delaying some projects and prompting new emergency responses to cope with the fallout of the pandemic. The charity continued to deliver aid in a safe manner where possible and moved some of its activities and events online.<ref>{{cite web |last=Igoe |first=Michael |date=2 October 2020 |title=Q&A: Islamic Relief CEO on faith-based fundraising during COVID-19 |url=https://www.devex.com/news/q-a-islamic-relief-ceo-on-faith-based-fundraising-during-covid-19-98217 |access-date=18 October 2022 |website=Devex}}</ref>

In 2020 the international federation of Islamic Relief entities launched a new global governance framework, establishing an International General Assembly from which representatives from around the world elect Islamic Relief Worldwide's board of trustees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Governance|url=https://islamic-relief.org/about-us/governance/#:~:text=This%20new%20governance%20model%20allows,and%20more%20cohesive%20organisation%20overall. |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=islamic-relief.org}}</ref>

In 2021, Islamic Relief was recertified against the prestigious [[Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability]] (CHS), a rigorous standard made up of nine commitments designed to ensure charities best meet the needs of the communities they serve. At the time, Islamic Relief was one of only five UK-based charities to hold the full independent certification, which will last until May 2025. The charity was first certified against the CHS in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHS: Rigorous certification reaffirms Islamic Relief’s programmes prioritise quality and accountability|url=https://islamic-relief.org/news/chs-rigorous-certification-reaffirms-islamic-reliefs-programmes-prioritise-quality-and-accountability |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=islamic-relief.org}}</ref>

In 2022, Islamic Relief marked [[World Refugee Day]] with a joint conference with the LWF, and another of its close faith-based partners [[HIAS]], on 'Welcoming the Stranger'.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-07 |title=Welcoming the Stranger, Shaping the Future |url=https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/welcoming-stranger-shaping-future |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=The Lutheran World Federation |language=en}}</ref>

In 2022, the charity responded as devastating flooding swept across Pakistan. Islamic Relief provided food, water, shelter and other emergency items to affected people, continuing to support communities in the months that followed the disaster. By the end of the year, Islamic Relief had assisted over 1 million people and raised over £10 million to support communities affected by the flooding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Islamic Relief Worldwide Annual Report 2022 |url=https://islamic-relief.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IRW-AR2022-Web.pdf |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Islamic Relief Worldwide}}</ref>

In 2023, Islamic Relief launched major responses and appeals to address crises including the Türkiye-Syria earthquake, the outbreak of conflict in Sudan and the unprecedented escalation in violence in Gaza.

The charity also published its new 10-year Global Strategy, laying out how it would seek to achieve three core outcomes: saving lives and reducing vulnerability to humanitarian crises, empowering communities to tackle poverty and vulnerability, and advocating for change to eliminate the global and local root causes of inequality.