17 January 2020

Islamic Relief Australia was honoured to attend and contribute to the Australian Government’s Bushfire Relief and Recovery Efforts Charity Roundtable, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The meeting, held in Canberra yesterday, brought together key charities involved in the bushfire response, including the Australian Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul and the RSPCA, and representatives from key Government agencies, to map out the road to recovery for communities affected.  Discussions focused on how the Government and charities can align efforts to meet the increasing needs of bushfire-ravaged communities – both immediately and in the longer term.

In his opening address, the Prime Minister praised the Australian people for their outpouring of generosity during the crisis, and commended the work charities are doing on the ground to help communities in need.

Photo sourced from Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Twitter account (@ScottMorrisonMP)

“First of all, can I just say this, thank you. $200 million dollars, or thereabouts has already come out of the generosity of the hearts of Australians over these recent months. And you know better than anyone how generous Australians are. Because they are the people who support you and the amazing work that you do every day. And in times like this, when people are hurting, when people are tired, when people have had great fear and they’re trying to get their lives back together and focus on their future for their kids, for their families, for their communities, they always turn to you in the same way as they always turn to governments at these times,” he said.

Islamic Relief Australia representative, Samir Bennegadi, said:

“It was a real privilege for Islamic Relief Australia to be part of the Australian Government’s roundtable discussions today. We’re currently raising funds for the bushfire crisis and it’s important for faith-based charities, like ours, to be involved in the conversation so that we can ensure help is mobilised efficiently and most effectively.

“We’ve had an outpouring of support, locally and globally, with our partners offering both moral and financial support for our bushfire appeal.

“We’re currently working with well-established partners on the ground to ensure we don’t overlap and duplicate services and to ensure that we also honour our commitment to our donors.”

About Islamic Relief Australia

Islamic Relief Australia is a humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to fighting poverty, alleviating suffering and addressing inequality for vulnerable people globally. We seek to improve the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people through relief, development and advocacy work. We are a network of community enablers – made up of committed volunteers, donors, community members, partners and staff – working to empower communities in need and create positive change in the world.

Established in 2010, we are a member of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW); a leading international charity made up of 14 national members –  Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mauritius, Middle East, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, the UK and US – united by a shared vision, mission and identity. As a member of IRW, Islamic Relief Australia raises funds for international humanitarian projects, implements local programs and supports advocacy initiatives to address global injustices.

Founded on the timeless Islamic values of sincerity (ikhlas), social justice (adl), excellence (ihsan), custodianship (amana) and compassion (rahma), we are a diverse and inclusive organisation dedicated to supporting vulnerable people everywhere – irrespective of their background.