US Aid Group Increases Appeal for Pakistan Emergency to $4 Million

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Islamic Relief USA (IR USA), a Washington, D.C.-based relief and development organization, today announced that it has increased its fundraising goal for the Pakistan flood victims to $4 million due to the worsening conditions in the region. It has also collected more than $23 million in in-kind donations.

"Our commitment to Pakistan is one that is on-going and long term," said Abed Ayoub, CEO of IR USA. "As Pakistanis continue to brace for massive flooding, we will continue to raise funds and awareness for their plight."

Islamic Relief launched its appeal on July 30 and has been providing emergency assistance to survivors in part, by:

• Administering camps housing thousands of internally displaced people and setting up another camp for hundreds more Pakistanis
• Constructing sanitation facilities in Nowshera using fiberglass slabs
• Distributing family hygiene kits to benefit more than 20,000 people in Nowshera and Mardan, with 1,570 more kits on the way
• Transporting hundreds of tents to disaster zone for distribution
• Ordering and procuring 4,000 food parcels which are now ready for distribution to displaced families
• Distributing household kits which include mattresses, mosquito nets, etc. in Sibbi and Nowshera to benefit nearly 20,000 people
• Providing kitchen sets containing cooking pots, utensils, etc. to benefit nearly 20,000 people in Sibbi and Nowshera
• Purchasing and preparing to distribute temporary shelters to house more than 5,600 displaced victims
• Setting up hygiene sessions to educate flood victims about importance of hygiene for their health

Donations can be made now at www.IslamicReliefUSA.org.

Islamic Relief has been working in Pakistan and the Pakistani-administered regions of Kashmir for nearly two decades. In 2005, Islamic Relief helped raise more than $70 million in aid for the victims of the deadly earthquake in northern Pakistan.

Islamic Relief USA's response efforts to Hurricane Katrina lasted over 2 years, providing over $2 million in aid and assisting over 60,000 people in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. IR USA's ongoing response efforts to the Haiti earthquake has also raised more than $2.2 million.

Inspired by Islam's values on charitable giving and community development, IR USA is a relief organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through disaster relief and development projects in the U.S. and globally for communities regardless of color, race, religion, or creed.

For the seventh consecutive year, IR USA has been awarded four stars by Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in the country. This prestigious award puts IR USA among the top 2.25 percent of charities in the nation. To learn more, visit, www.islamicreliefusa.org

Note: Islamic Relief USA's CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) number is 10194.

Media Contact: Rabiah Ahmed at 202-439-1441 or [email protected]

SOURCE Islamic Relief USA