Islamic Relief USA provides $20 million medical aid to Pakistan

Islamic Relief USA (IR USA), a non-profit relief and development organization based in metro-D.C., announced today that it has delivered a $20 million aid shipment of medicine to Pakistan.

The aid shipment includes medicines that will help treat water-borne diseases, such as diarrhea, skin infections, malaria, as well as anesthetics, antibacterial drugs, and penicillin, to name a few. The medicine will benefit over 300,000 people for the next year and have a shelf-life ranging from 18 months to 5 years.

"The international community needs to respond to the dire health conditions of the Pakistan flood victims," said Abed Ayoub, CEO of Islamic Relief USA, who is currently in Pakistan overseeing the shipment. "It is an area of relief work that has not been heavily focused on, yet it is literally a matter of life and death for millions of people."

According to the World Health Organizations, access to health care, including routine services, is difficult as monsoonal rains and raging flood waters have damaged or destroyed more than 200 hospitals and clinics. Vaccination campaigns and health services must continue for mothers to deliver babies, for cancer patients to receive treatment and for people with mental and psychosocial health concerns to receive support.

NOTE: Media outlets interested in interviewing IR USA Staff members in Pakistan regarding the shipment, can call Rabiah Ahmed at 202-439-1441.

Islamic Relief has been working in Pakistan and the Pakistani-administered regions of Kashmir for nearly two decades. To date, it has raised close to $10 million dollars for the current flood crisis. In 2005, Islamic Relief helped raise more than $70 million in aid for the victims of the deadly earthquake in northern Pakistan.

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 .

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

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