U.S. MUSLIM CHARITY TO FLY $1 MILLION IN RELIEF SUPPLIES TO HAITI

Islamic Relief USA works with Mormon church to aid Haitian quake victims

(Alexandria, VA, January 13, 2010)—Islamic Relief USA, America’s largest Muslim relief organization, announced today that it will immediately fly a $1 million shipment of aid to those impacted by yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti. That relief aid will be sent in coordination with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Those wishing to donate to Islamic Relief USA’s “Haiti Emergency” appeal may visit http://www.islamicreliefusa.org or call (888) 479-4968. Checks payable to “Islamic Relief USA” may be mailed to: Islamic Relief USA, P.O. Box 5640, Buena Park, CA, 90622.

In October 2009, Islamic Relief USA responded to two Pacific Rim earthquakes by coordinating a massive aid shipment to Samoa and deploying emergency teams in Indonesia.

Islamic Relief partners worldwide also responded to other major disasters such as the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and the Pakistan earthquake in 2005. More than $100 million in relief aid was collected to assist the victims in those disaster areas. Islamic Relief also responded to Hurricane Katrina, delivering aid to more than 60,000 people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

[NOTE: Media professionals interested in speaking to aid workers who have experience in disaster zones or to learn more about ongoing response efforts may contact Islamic Relief USA VP of Fund Development Anwar Khan at 818-216-9723.]

Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) humanitarian agency with offices also in California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas. As an international relief and development organization, Islamic Relief strives to alleviate the poverty and suffering of the world’s poorest people. Since its establishment, Islamic Relief has expanded greatly with permanent locations in more than 35 countries worldwide.

For the sixth consecutive year, Islamic Relief USA has been awarded four stars by Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in the country. This prestigious award puts Islamic Relief among the top 2.25 percent of charities in the nation.

UPDATE ON OTHER AGENCIES INVOLVED IN RELIEF EFFORTS (from Mike Ghouse)

• Donations to American Jewish World Service’s “Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund” will enable AJWS’s network of grantees in Haiti to meet the urgent needs of the population based on real-time, on-the-ground assessments; LINK: https://secure.ajws.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3460&3460.donation=form1

• Catholic Relief Services is also organizing its office in Haiti, and has announced an appeal for donations to deal with the chaos; LINK: http://crs-blog.org/earthquake-hits-haiti/

• Islamic Relief has launched an appeal for £1 million to respond to the disaster; LINK: http://www.islamic-relief.com/Emergencies-And-Appeals/emBackground.aspx?emID=66

• Oxfam America, which has launched an immediate appeal is seeking donations, as they prepare to rush teams from around the region to help provide clean water, emergency shelter, and sanitation; LINK: https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3560&3560.donation=form1

• Doctors Without Borders teams, who were already working on medical projects Haiti, have treated hundreds of people injured in the quake despite the destruction of medial centers and hospitals; LINK: http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

• Direct Relief International is responding to the disaster by sending emergency medical supplies to all their local partners; LINK: http://www.directrelief.org/EmergencyResponse/2010/EarthquakeHaiti.aspx

• CARE is mobilizing donors to help send immediate supplies and aid down to the country; LINK: https://my.care.org/site/Donation2?5000.donation=form1&df_id=5000

• AmeriCares is taking donations to help get emergency medical supplies down to Haiti, and has agreed to pledge upwards of $5 million in order to help with the chaos. LINK: http://www.americares.org/newsroom/news/deadly-earthquake-strikes-haiti-2010.html