Appeal for Victims of South Asian Earthquake

ISNA

Posted Oct 12, 2005      •Permalink      • Printer-Friendly Version
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Appeal for Victims of South Asian Earthquake

“O ye who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for God is with those who patiently persevere.” (Quran 2:153)


Plainfield , IN – The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) calls upon all Americans to come forward to help the victims of the recent major earthquake (7.6 magnitude) that devastated parts of Pakistan, Kashmir, India, and Afghanistan.

More than 2.5 million people were affected by the quake in the region, according to U.N. reports. Official sources put the death toll at between 20,000 and 30,000, but the number is expected to rise significantly as more victims are found under the rubble. An additional 42,000 people have been injured according to government reports. Residents in the affected areas will be facing a tremendous challenge in the coming days and months, due to lack of food, water, first aid, shelter, and medical supplies in remote areas, that are often only accessible by helicopters.

We are coordinating with several national and international relief agencies to aid and strengthen the relief and recovery efforts. ISNA has also announced the donation of $20,000 to a fund for the victims of the quake. Your support will be critical in providing aid and relief for the victims. You can donate online at www.isna.net or mail your checks to ISNA, South Asia Quake Fund, P.O. Box 38, Plainfield, IN 46168.  American Muslim Taskforce for Disaster Relief. http://www.mhrtf.net/news.php 

ISNA appeals to the Muslim community to take the following actions:

1. Donate generously to the relief organizations identified by ISNA.
2. Pray for the victims of the earthquake.
3. Reach out to your neighbors of other faiths and encourage them to help in this disaster.

At this time of tragedy we must help those in need with our support and our prayers.

A number of organizations are involved in relief efforts. Following is a list of some of these organizations:

Information and Relief Effort:

1. Islamic Relief Worldwide www.irw.org
2. ICNA Relief www.reliefonline.org
3. Hidaya Foundation www.hidaya.org
4. Indian Muslim Relief & Charities www.imrc.ws
5. Edhi Foundation http://paks.net/edhi-foundation
6. Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) www.imana.org
7. Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) www.appna.org
8. Doctors without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org
9. Pakistani Islamic Medical Association www.pima.org.pk
10. Embassy of Pakistan www.embassyofpakistan.org

The Embassy of Pakistan has listed the following items as immediate needs for the region:

Shelter: Tents, plastic sheets, blankets, mattresses
Food Items: Pre-cooked tinned food (Halal), high energy biscuits/bars, survival rations
Medicines: Antibiotics, typhoid medication, fracture related kits, first aid kits, surgical instruments, water purification tablets.

Please contact the embassy of Pakistan for further information for such items at (310) 0441-5145 and (310) 446-6695 or visit the website.

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Muslim Americans to Collect $20 Million for South Asian Quake Victims

PLAINFIELD , IN – Muslim American relief organizations, public advocacy groups, and professional organizations accepted an invitation from the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to hold an emergency telephone conference October 11 to chart a course for coordinating relief efforts on behalf of the victims of the earthquake in South Asia.

The participants agreed to coordinate their efforts to provide relief to the victims of Oct 8 South Asian earthquake.

The organizations agreed to raise $20 million for the quake relief efforts, with commitments of about $17 million already on the table. It was agreed to assign a portion of these funds for relief work in Indian controlled Kashmir.

The meeting agreed to send a letter to President Bush tonight asking him to form an ad-hoc committee comprised of governmental and non-governmental relief agencies to offer relief needed after the South Asian earthquake.

It was agreed to expand the scope of the recently constituted Muslim Hurricanes Relief Task Force, which the Islamic organizations had established in the wake of the destruction wrought by hurricane Katrina. The new coordinating body is much expanded and will be known as American Muslim Taskforce for Disaster Relief. http://www.mhrtf.net/news.php 

ISNA urged the conference participants to get the news of their activities publicized in the forthcoming Special Supplement of Islamic Horizons magazine.

ISNA president Sh. Muhammad Nur Abdullah said that a coordinated program between all Muslim organizations in North America will help improve the quality of service to provide immediate assistance to the affected people in the region.

The participants bring rich experience in providing relief in many disasters and upheavals, especially their recent efforts in helping the victims of Katrina and other hurricanes.

 

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