A Brighton charity is fundraising to help flood victims in Pakistan, where a natural disaster has left an estimated 33 million people without shelter.
Deen Relief’s emergency appeal for Pakistan flood victims aims to help poor, vulnerable and disabled children in the region who need emergency shelter, clean water and aid.
The Muslim-led charity’s appeal, hosted on JustGiving, will contribute funds towards Islamic Relief’s appeal providing food, shelter, and hygiene packs.
Deen Relief director Clare Abdul-Basit said: “We saw it with the floods in Bangladesh too because this year, they’re worse than they were back in the last 20 years. It seems to be connected with Pakistan as well.”
The emergency appeal is being held alongside their continuing projects providing aid for the homeless community in Brighton and other international appeals.
Volunteers from Deen Relief have also been providing food, drinks, blankets and clothing every Sunday at 6pm from the Peace Statue at the seafront to help vulnerable people in the local community since 2010.
Ms Abdul-Basit said: “There are actually a lot of Muslims as well as non Muslims, of course, that need our help who are homeless.
“We’re getting more and more people coming that need Halal food and would like to talk in
Arabic to us.”
During the pandemic, Deen Relief coordinated a team of local restaurant owners and their families cooking more than 1000 meals to deliver to people in hospital or isolated by covid.
Founder Shabek Ali said: “I got so inspired, I felt there was a great opportunity to help the NHS.”
Mr Ali started the charity as a polio survivor in response to the thousands of Bangladeshi children unable to access adequate healthcare, support, education and food in Bangladesh.
The charity has grown in response to international crises including the need for housing for disabled children in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh.
Tropical cyclones can easily destroy houses in the area, one of the poorest areas of the country, leaving many without the means to rebuild.
Another project Deen Relief is keen to continue is its work with Syrian children with cancer as a result of the war.
Ms Abdul-Basit said: “There’s not as much media about the Syrian conflict now and yet it’s ongoing because these children have been victims of bombs and chemical weaponry.
“The ugly consequences of war are still there but because it’s not getting the coverage, people are forgetting that actually, there are still thousands of children suffering and dying from cancer in their tents.
“The borders are just a little bit away from Europe, close to Turkey, and they’re not getting the chemotherapy or the support they should be getting.
You can see the full list of campaigns run by Deen Relief on their website https://www.deenrelief.org.
