By Robert Cole, for the AMAR International Charitable Foundation.
For hundreds of millions of families around the world, this month’s Mawlid al-Nabi commemoration to mark the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday will be a time for family, friends, joy and celebration. A time of prayer, exchanging gifts, embracing the wider community and extending to others their religious generosity.
But for millions more, particularly widows and children, there will be no celebration as they continue their battle against war, hunger, and disease.
In Iraq alone, there are one million widows and, tragically, more than four million orphans.
AMAR International has been delivering urgent medical and educational support in the Middle East for the last 26 years. Using a staff comprised almost entirely of national professionals and volunteers, they have treated more than 10 million patients and have opened 46 medical centres across Iraq.
But we couldn’t have done any of this without your help. Today we are launching a new, urgent appeal for emergency funds to help widows and orphans in the most desperate need.
(Source: AMAR)