Humanitarian work sometimes brings up irony in the form of two humanitarian disasters, in two parts of the world which are complete opposites. East Africa is in the midst of a drought while Pakistan – a little over a year since the worst floods had hit the country in 80 years – has been besieged by monsoons.
Currently there are nearly 60 countries in which there is a requirement for humanitarian relief and aid. No country is immune from natural disasters and tornadoes in USA or earthquakes in Japan both earlier this year have shown us. No matter how developed a country is, it can lose everything in a single go. While countries such as Japan and the USA have the resources and finances to get back on their feet, countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Pakistan do not.
In the charity sector, we don’t know where the next emergency will be. We have to be ready to get up and work at a moments’ notice- every part of an organisation doing its part to ensure that clear coordination lead to aid reaching the people it needs to get to.
We have to remember that the next humanitarian alert can be moments away. It could be a flood, earthquake, drought or famine. We don’t know where it will strike next – but we must be ready.
By Mohammad Shakir
Muslim Charities Forum 