2020 has been a year of difficulty and hardship for people all over the world.
It began with disastrous bushfires in Australia, soon followed by the global Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic which has continued to rage on. This was followed with natural and man-made disasters in several parts of the world and made this year one to forget.
The coronavirus pandemic had a heavy and sustained impact on the lives of people all over the world. Nations went under lockdown, towns and cities were quarantined, healthcare systems struggled, places of worship were closed, jobs were lost as companies closed down, families and friends were kept apart to slow the spread of the disease.
Severe flooding in Africa and Asia, fires in Australia, cyclones in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, along with significant earthquakes in Turkey and Central Asia, the oil spill in Mauritius, and the explosion in Beirut further compounded the misery millions of people were already facing.
In these trying circumstances those affected by wars, natural disasters, climate change, and poverty were affected even more than they were in past years. Vulnerable people including refugees and displaced families, orphans and widows faced an increased struggle for survival.
Islamic Relief continued to help people in need. Throughout the year we were still able to help more than 11 million people in 43 countries, carrying out more than 500 significant projects.
Over 72,000 orphans were sponsored, almost one million people were fed with Ramadan food packs, and more than 3.3 million people received nutritious meals from your Korban donations.
We were able to provide water, sanitation and hygiene to over half a million people and provided healthcare for almost a million others worldwide.
Despite the difficulties, despite the distances, and despite the type of emergency, Islamic Relief was able to respond and help millions of people. For 36 years, Islamic Relief has been able to react rapidly to provide humanitarian assistance and will continue to do so.
Thank you to all our donors, you have changed lives and you have saved lives.