The Muslim Weekly
Friday, December 7th 2007
 With relief
efforts working unabated across
the southern affected areas of
cyclone-hit Bangladesh, Britain
tirelessly continued with its
contribution of aid this week.
Despite Cyclone Sidr having left
thousands of people dead and
millions homeless, Ummah Welfare
Trust (UWT) and Muslim Welfare
Institute (MWI) made a joint
emergency appeal to relieve the
suffering of the Bangladeshi
People.
CEO of UWT, an international
charity with offices across
England, Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad,
said: "Once again, a calamity
has befallen the Ummah. It is a
collective responsibility upon
us all to assist our fellow
brothers and sisters in
Bangladesh."
An initial £100,000 has been
allocated and the appeal aims to
raise a further half a million
pounds through the assistance of
donors, mosques and
organisations across the UK.
While international charity
group Muslim Aid said it had
"immediately allocated £215,000
for emergency aid and launched a
fundraising campaign to raise
£3million for ongoing relief and
rehabilitation".
So far £600,000 cash and
$1.1million in kind has been
raised, Muslim Aid reported.
Secretary of MWI, a Blackburn
based charity, Shaikh Hanif
Dudhwala, said: "As with all
emergency crises, it is
necessary to think of the long
term consequences of the
cyclone. Phase two of our plan
is to rebuild homes,
re-establish water systems and
provide material for those who
have lost their means of
sustenance."
Meanwhile Douglas Alexander,
Secretary of State for
International Development,
announced an additional £2.5
million in funding to meet the
immediate needs of the people
affected.
The additional funding, which
brings the UK’s total support
this year to £116.7 million
making it the largest bilateral
donor to Bangladesh, will go
towards providing emergency
food, clean water and basic
shelter to the worst affected
communities.
Douglas Alexander said: "More
than one week on from the
devastation and terrible loss of
life caused by Cyclone Sidr,
nearly seven million people in
Bangladesh continue to suffer.
Despite difficulties, aid is
getting through to the worst
affected communities. The long
work of rebuilding people’s
lives and homes is beginning.
He added: "The next, equally
immediate, challenge is to help
people rebuild their livelihoods
- fishing, farming, and trading
activities have all been
destroyed. Bangladeshi
resilience in the face of
natural disaster is nothing
short of inspiring: it commands
our respect, and continued
support."
He said Britain was committed to
"supporting the people of
Bangladesh".
The Department for International
Development (DFID) has sent two
disaster relief experts to
Bangladesh to support the DFID
country office in its emergency
efforts and make recommendations
on further UK support.
DFID continues to work with the
Government and people of
Bangladesh to help them reduce,
and deal with, the impact of
natural disasters. DFID has
already provided £4.7 million to
help with massive flooding in
the country earlier this year.
Through DFID, the UK Government
is working closely with other
donors and agencies and stands
ready to provide further funding
if required.
For those wishing to donate can
do so online by visiting Ummah
Welfare Trust’s website at
www.uwt.org or calling its
hotline on: 0845 652 2786 or
01274 390 396. |
