Islamic Relief UK will be working with over 40 local partners, from this week as part of the religious festival of Qurbani to deliver food packs to vulnerable families and individuals affected by the country’s worsening cost-of-living crisis.
More people throughout the country are struggling with the cost-of-living, and pressure is starting to build up against local charities and foodbanks as demand rises. According to Islamic Relief UK’s recent survey, over a quarter (28%) of their local partners have had to turn people away as they cannot keep up with the intensifying demand.
Now with the added impact of the Middle East crisis, the economic situation will only further push more families into poverty. Qurbani is one of the most important months of the Islamic calendar, as Muslims across the UK donate what they can to those struggling to afford food for their families.
This year, Islamic Relief is working partners throughout the UK, in cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester, Burnley, Cambridge, Glasgow, Exeter and more, and will be working with local charities, food banks, mosques and football clubs to deliver for those who need it most. Nadeem Baqir, UK programme manager for Islamic Relief UK said: “This Qurbani should be a time for us all to reflect on the most vulnerable.
“Far too many families across the country are struggling with the cost of food, and too often we hear reports from our local partners about parents who must go without to make sure their children can eat. But at the same time, we can see communities pulling together and looking after each other, just like our wonderful partners, who provide food to those who cannot afford it, even as they themselves are put under increasing pressure as the number of people in need rises.
“As more families struggle to make ends meet, there is a clear need for government action to ensure the support families receive is sufficient to help them afford their essential needs and prevent more households from falling into poverty.”
Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired, development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way. Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by a group of volunteers, they have assisted over 117 million people all over the world and having been saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 40 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo.
Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. They also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.
