International Welfare Relief Organisation

Ramadan & Emergency Appeal Covid-19 Food Parcel Distribution

Background As part of our effort to relieve the hardships of the poor, widows and orphans, International Welfare Relief Organisation (hereafter called IWRO) provides food parcels yearly during the Holy month of Ramadan in various areas of Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. This year, the requests for support from the poor, widows and orphans have surpassed the expectations and due to the unprecedent pandemic and lockdown across the globe, families lost the meagre income they were normally able to source and suffered from starvation. Assessing the circumstances, IWRO had 2 concurrent appeals running being: -

1. Ramadhan Appeal: to provide a food parcel sufficient to support a family of 10-16 individuals for the entire Holy month for $67.00 and

2. Emergency Appeal Covid 19: to provide food parcels for 3 months to support a family of 10-16 individuals for $67.00 a month, until the lockdown would ease and members would be in a position to earn a living again.

Most of our donors donated towards the cost of one month’s food parcel, and since both appeals were running concurrently during the month of Ramadan, funds received in the month of Ramadan and thereafter have been utilised to provide food parcels to support the families during the Holy month and thereafter to support the families during the current lockdown. Each parcel provided sufficient basic provisions for each family to survive the entire Holy month of Ramadan and provided the entire household with a decent meal. The families generally make do with the items provided in the parcel as there are no savings nor other resources to afford any additional ration especially during this pandemic when the widows are not able to find work at people’s houses or seek for help outside the mosques during prayer times. With an average family size of 12-16 members per family, a total of 4,700 families have currently benefited from funds received from our generous donors. Generous donors are still donating funds towards food parcels which are currently being accumulated for distribution in Afghanistan in Bamya, Logar, Behsut as well as a second distribution in Ghazni, Kabul, Herat and Balkh to support the families on waiting list during the current lockdown. Each family received a parcel consisting of 7 items:

• 50 kg Flour • 5 kg Rice • 5 kg Sugar

• 5 litre Oil • 2 kg tea • 2 kg Dates

• 5 Kg Washing Powder

2 | P a g e

Afghanistan: The 2017 Afghanistan zero hunger strategic review found that the country suffers from high, and in some cases rapidly rising, levels of food insecurity and undernutrition. Afghanistan’s poverty rate has worsened sharply over the past five years as the economy has stalled and the Taliban insurgency has spread, with more than half the population living on less than a dollar a day. In November 2019, UN reported that from August to October 2019, around one-third of the Afghan population required urgent humanitarian action, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Alert, which declared that about 10.23 million people are living in a state of “severe acute food insecurity”. In Afghanistan, distribution to 4,000 families was carried out in the province of Kabul, Ghazni, Herat and Balkh benefitting a total of 1,000 families in each city. The distribution in all 4 cities was carried out 4 times, each time distributing to 250 families to allow social distancing. In the Province of Kabul, distribution to 250 families each was carried out in Dashte Barchi, Chaar Kaly Charde, Khushaal Mena and Khayre Khaana benefitting a total of 1,000 families.

In the Province of Ghazni, distribution to 250 families each was carried out in Nawabad, Kalay Shada, Hayder Abad and Khaja Amiri benefitting a total of 1,000 families.

3 | P a g e

In the Province of Balkh, distribution to 250 families each was carried out in Syed Abad, Husein Abad, Campi Sakhi and Uliya E Fakirabad benefitting a total of 1,000 families.

In the Province of Herat, distribution to 250 families each was carried out in Haji Abbas Town, Jibrael, Darwaze Malik and Nukkra benefitting a total of 1,000 families.

In addition to food parcels, 4 donors donated a total of 229 sheep which was equally distributed in the 4 provinces.

4 | P a g e

Total Expenditure Incurred in Afghanistan to date:

Food items per Parcel Afghani Rupees US Dollar

50 kg Flour 2,990.74 $39.05

5 ltr oil 351.54 $4.59

5 kg Rice 451.10 $5.89

5 kg Sugar 350.77 $4.58

2 kg tea 500.88 $6.54

2 kg Dates 200.67 $2.62

5 kg Washing Powder 285.68 $3.73

Total one parcel 5,131.38 $67.00

Total for 4,000 Parcels

20,525,520.00 $268,000.00

Yemen Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis of our time: two-thirds of the population is at risk of starvation. Millions of people in Yemen are affected by violent conflict and a growing health crisis. 80% of its population is in need of emergency relief and humanitarian assistance. According to the latest food security assessment released in December 2018, 20.2 million (about 76% of the total population) would be facing life-threatening shortages of food without the assistance provided by the humanitarian community. This includes people who have been internally displaced (IDPs). Due to the soared unemployment rates, it leaves basic food unaffordable for many Yemenis. High food prices force people to adopt negative coping strategies such as shifting to less preferred and cheaper food or cutting back on the number of meals. This year, we were able to provide food parcels to 400 families during the current pandemic. Distribution was done in Sana’a which is the capital of Yemen. In addition to the food parcels, blankets and water was also distributed to the food parcel recipients.

5 | P a g e

Total Expenditure Incurred in Yemen:

Food items per Parcel US Dollar

50 kg Flour

$67.00

5 ltr oil

5 kg Rice

5 kg Sugar

2 kg tea

2 kg Dates

5 kg Washing Powder

4 Blankets

Water tanker delivering water on a daily basis

Total for 400 Parcels

$26,800.00

Syria: In 2019, UNICEF appealed for US$ 1.2 billion for its programmes for children inside Syria and in neighbouring host countries. Over 83% of Syrians live below the poverty line, pushing children into extreme survival measures, (such as child labour, early marriage and recruitment into fighting), to help their families make ends meet. Hunger is more prevalent in countries affected by conflict, especially when institutional and environmental conditions are fragile. Of the 815 million people who can be classified as hungry, 489 million live in countries affected by conflict, and people in countries in the midst of protracted crises are 2.5 times more likely to be undernourished. This is especially true in the case of two of the worst conflicts of this decade - the ongoing civil wars in Syria and Yemen. The short-term effects of malnutrition are devastating for both women and children. Malnourished pregnant or lactating women are unable to provide enough vital nutrients needed for their babies, which can consequently lead to long-lasting damage to brain development, leaving the child vulnerable and more open to infections and diseases. Malnourished, pregnant women are also more inclined to disease and exhaustion which impacts and reduces economic productivity, further deepening the cycle of poverty. Sadly, many lose their lives. This year, 300 families in Zainabiya benefitted with food parcels to suffice them for one month during the current pandemic. Food parcels were delivered to beneficiaries to adhere to the lockdown restrictions placed by the authorities.

6 | P a g e

Total Expenditure Incurred in Syria:

Food items per Parcel US Dollar

50 kg Flour

$67.00

5 ltr oil

5 kg Rice

5 kg Sugar

2 kg tea

2 kg Dates

5 kg Washing Powder

Total for 300 Parcels

$20,100.00

Incidental Costs Incurred: IWRO purchased all the items in bulk giving some savings, as well as allowing us to have the right quality control and ensure that each Food Parcel is packed properly and each family receives the correct quantity. We incurred additional costs towards packaging material to pack individual parcels, hiring of labourers, transport, hiring of photographer to capture the distribution and hiring of guards to keep the ration safe. These costs were however donated by local donors so that the entire amount received from our esteemed donors could be solely utilised towards the purchase of the content within the food parcels and not towards any incidental costs.

7 | P a g e

Desperate Situation In each area we distributed food parcels, we had more Widow Families turn up, desperately seeking food and support. We fully appreciate the desperate situation the widows are in and understand why they would chase any opportunity to find food for their hungry families. Heartbreakingly, with more Widow Families turning up, our ground team volunteers had to send them away – Volunteers advised that there were some very emotional scenes and it was not easy to turn away these desperate mouths. In each of the locations, the beneficiaries would collect the Food Parcels and transport them back to their homes either by wheelbarrow or in some instances some Widow Families clubbed together to pay for a taxi to transport the food items. In some instances, local car owners also assisted in dropping the beneficiaries with their food parcels at their homes. After running a survey, we found approximately 1,000 orphans in 4 provinces of Afghanistan (Ghazni, Kabul, Herat and Balkh) that have no one left in the entire family and are fending for themselves and go hungry for days. These orphans are all below 15 of age and are part of households where entire households were killed by Taliban machine gun attacks and one child survived the killing by luck. They have nowhere to go, no shelter on their head, no food in their stomach, no future as they do not have the opportunity to get an education and all suffer from ailments caused by malnutrition. They are in dire need and can only survive if assistance and funding towards their upkeep is provided through an orphanage.

Income Generation and Micro-Finance Schemes In order to make these families in need become self-reliant and work to sustain themselves, providing them with food parcels does not resolve their struggles nor provides them with sustainable assistance to generate an income to support their respective families. IWRO aims to provide them with avenues and opportunities to be able to support their own families. A few Income Generation and Micro-Finance Schemes which IWRO has implemented in the past and is looking to implement with the families currently receiving food parcels are:

Sheep Distribution In village areas, distribution of 5 sheep per widow family would enable them to use the by-products as an income source. Uses include selling their wool, butter, milk, meat and lambs for cash. We have previously distributed 4,500 sheep to 900 families and currently have 13,500 sheep in stock for further distribution. The scheme allows collection of 1 sheep per year from each family to self-sustain our sheep distribution programme, so we can keep helping more families with existing resources. It costs $100 - $120 for one sheep and one lamb.

Sewing Machine

8 | P a g e

Distribution of sewing machines in cities such as Kabul, Herat, Ghazni and Balkh province to widows would provide them with an income. The widow can use their artistic skills and make beautifully stitched garments to sell and make a living for themselves and their children. It costs $520 for one machine, iron and scissors and we have previously distributed 2,400 machines.

Carpet Machine Distribution of carpet making machines to widow families in cities such as Kabul, Herat, Ghazni and Balkh would help them become more financially independent and support themselves and their children for a brighter future. Each machine costs $1,500 and we have previously distributed 1,500 of these machines.

Micro Finance A 2-year interest free loan of $100 to $500 to individuals could assist in starting their own business. Micro finance helps people to start generating income for their families and supporting themselves as well as the surrounding community.

Water Projects

Water Irrigation

Water irrigation provides water for commercial activities in villages. Pipes are installed which deliver water to local farms, which help them to grow crops, vegetables and fruits. The farmers contribute to the local economy through freshly grown food and commodities like cotton. It costs $35,000 to $40,000 to set-up an irrigation with deep boring of 250 meters to provide a vast resource of water for commercial needs. A single irrigation can benefit up to 300 and create extra 1,000 employment opportunities for locals through farming related activities. This would provide the families with resources to grow their own crop. We have to date set-up 36 irrigation projects since 2004, 24 in Herat, 7 in Balkh and 5 in Ghazni.

Gratitude and Appeal to our Esteemed Donors On behalf of our beneficiaries, we would like to thank all our donors and their supporters for providing for a hungry orphan, a starving widow, a poor family during the Holy month of Ramadan and beyond towards the Emergency Appeal-Covid-19. We hope that you will further support us in providing these families with the above-mentioned sustainable income generation and micro financing schemes to alleviate these families from poverty and help them become society contributors and break the chain of remaining as receivers. May Allah (SWT) continue to bless you all in this world and in the next. Ameen