Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international relief and development organization consisting of a family of 15 aid agencies that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people. They are inspired by their Islamic values, and envisage a world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled, and people respond as one to the suffering of others. It is an independent Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in the UK in 1984 by Hany El Banna.

Exemplifying its Islamic values, IRW works to mobilize resources, build partnerships, and develop local capacity, as they work to enable communities to mitigate the effect of disasters, prepare for their occurrence and respond by providing relief, protection and recovery.

IRW is a member of the UN's Economic and Social Council and it is a signatory to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief. IRW is also a member of Bond (British Overseas NGOs for Development) and is part of the global Make Poverty History coalition which is campaigning to end extreme poverty. IR is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) along with 13 other charities. (Note: IRW is not at all to be confused with the Saudi Arabia-based International Islamic Relief Organization, or IIRO.)