Winter can be deadly for those without shelter or warmth. From Pakistan to here in the UK, the next few months look bleak for millions of people who are struggling without homes or heating.
Al-Wahab Foundation has been working across parts of Pakistan and the UK distributing your donations with our Winter Survival Campaign. Here’s how your generosity is making a difference and warming hearts.
Pakistan Winter Response
Earlier this year, floods ravaged Pakistan, claiming thousands of lives and destroying homes and villages. Approximately thirty-three million people, including sixteen million children, have been affected by heavy rainfall and burst rivers wreaking havoc in the monsoon season. (UNICEF, Nov 2022) Rates of poverty have dramatically increased as crops and livestock have been destroyed, claiming essential income from families already struggling. As the people of Pakistan begin the lengthy process of recovery, they now face a new threat: winter. For those whose houses were destroyed, makeshift shelters and dilapidated buildings are all that they have to protect them from the elements. Plunging temperatures and damp conditions place the most vulnerable, including children and the elderly, at risk.
Thanks to your support of Sadaqah and Zakat, earlier this month Al-Wahab Foundation distributed 350 Winter Survival Kits to those living in the flood-afflicted areas.
Our kits have been increased in size with larger boxes to hold more items, essential in keeping people warm. These kits include a warm and waterproof winter coat, woollen hat, thick socks and shawls or blankets. For those who lost everything in the floods, this warm clothing is vital in protection against temperatures which can go as low as freezing during the night.
UK Winter Campaign
The Cost-of-Living Crisis and rising food and energy costs here in the UK have increased the number of people now living below the poverty line. For some, the situation has become so dire that it has resulted in losing their home and facing life on the streets. Over 270,000 people are homeless across the UK, facing bleak conditions as winter sets in.
Al- Wahab Foundation meets needs wherever they are. Our UK Response Team has been distributing Winter Survival Kits across London to those who are suffering homelessness and sleeping each night in freezing conditions. Sleeping bags and warm, waterproof clothing of hats, socks and blankets can help to combat health conditions and ensure that people are protected. So far, we have provided kits to fifty people who are homeless and are working towards expanding our reach as the winter months continue.
Your support has made all this possible. Delivering aid is more than about meeting immediate or obvious needs. All items in our kits are good quality, new items giving people dignity as well as warmth. Thank you for your ongoing support.
