(Alexandria, VA) May 7, 2014 —Islamic Relief USA launched an emergency appeal during the weekend to provide humanitarian aid to survivors of flash floods in Afghanistan.
Heavy rains at the end of April 2014 caused a destructive wave of flash floods that swept through 14 of Afghanistan’s provinces (62 districts) last week. Some 150 people were killed, 90,000 people have been affected by the floods, and 16,000 people were displaced from their homes. Landslides following the floods in eastern Afghanistan have raised the death toll: some estimates by local officials place it as high as 2,700.
“It is devastating to witness this scale of destruction,” said Anwar Khan, chief operating officer of Islamic Relief USA. “We are deeply concerned for the population as they deal with the immediate effects of the flooding, and our teams around the globe are working to send urgently needed food assistance in the three most affected provinces. This urgent assistance is in addition to our development work in Afghanistan—a country in which we have long supported programs such as home-based education that help Afghans lead more dignified lives.”
According to UNOCHA, by March 31, rainfall between 19% and 55% of the normal average had affected eleven provinces of Afghanistan. Resulting flood waters destroyed homes, public infrastructure and roads, as well as thousands of hectares of agricultural land. Six provinces of Afghanistan remain inaccessible.
IRUSA has been providing emergency humanitarian relief for 20 years. Here’s more information about IRUSA’s Afghanistan recovery efforts. To learn more about IRUSA’s development programs in Afghanistan, visit our Afghanistan country page.
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. Its programs benefit millions of people each year around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Michelle Strucke
mstrucke@irusa.org
703-209-3262