Our History
About Us
LAST UPDATED: October 2026
Saving and Transforming Lives
We don’t just provide aid, here at Islamic Relief we save and transform the lives of vulnerable communities in more than 40 countries across the globe.
Our key values, of compassion, justice, custodianship, sincerity and excellence, a critical part of our Islamic faith, inspire us each and every day to create positive change and remember the sanctity of life.
In line with Islamic teachings on the value of every human life, we provide assistance to whoever needs it most, regardless of race, religion or gender. We work to transform and save lives of people in crisis both in Canada and across the world.
From the very start, we had one clear vision:
“Inspired by our Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envisage a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled and people respond as one to the suffering of others.”
From Birmingham to the World
Islamic Relief was founded in 1984 in Birmingham by medical student Hany El-Banna in response to the famine in East Africa.
He and a group of other young Muslim volunteers raised Islamic Relief’s first funds through collections at mosques, friends and family and other Islamic associations, and established three international projects in Islamic Relief’s first year of operation. These were two chicken farms in Sudan, a shipment of biscuits and vitamins also to Sudan and a shipment of wheat flour to Mauritania.
The charity expanded rapidly. Over the next five years we started working in Mozambique, Iran, Pakistan, Malawi, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among others, responding to emergencies and distributing clothes, food, offering health support and beginning the long-term project that is now the one-to-one orphan sponsorship programme.
From emergency relief to sustainable development
While we started our work providing disaster and emergency relief, supporting those who have suffered and lost everything in droughts, earthquakes, floods or conflict, alongside this immediate assistance, Islamic Relief has always aimed to relieve poverty and suffering in the long-term too.
The year after we were founded, Islamic Relief set up its first field office in Khartoum, Sudan, ready to help those affected by the drought to not just survive but to rebuild their lives. Since then, we have opened over 100 offices in 40 countries worldwide, from Afghanistan to Albania, Pakistan to Palestine, Somalia to Sudan.
In addition to disaster relief, we carry out sustainable development work to provide water, food, shelter, healthcare and education in the long-term. We work to support orphans and children, help people into employment and build livelihoods to support their families, and protect vulnerable communities from future disasters, preventing the loss of lives and property.
Islamic Relief also advocate towards building a more just and equitable society. Inspired by our faith, we campaign against a range of issues including the increasing impact of climate change, gender-based violence and war and conflict worldwide.
Since 1984, Islamic Relief has grown into one of the world’s largest Islamic NGOs, Alhamdulillah!
Some Key Milestones in Our History
Islamic Relief is founded with its first 20p donation from nine-year-old Bassem, the nephew of Dr Hany El-Banna (founder of Islamic Relief).
We hire a small office in Moseley, Birmingham and, with the help of volunteers, raise funds towards supporting those affected by the African famine.
We begin a number of major programmes which continue to this day, including orphan sponsorship and Qurbani distribution, working in new countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Malawi.
Floods in Sudan create a turning point for Islamic Relief, providing our largest relief operation to date.
We open new offices in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
We sign the Red Cross Code of Conduct, an international set of standards which outline how to provide aid to people affected by emergencies in a non-biased manner.
We begin to implement Waqf projects, reviving the great Islamic tradition of sustainable charitable giving.
We supply emergency food packs and tents for 5,500 people affected by the devastating Gujarat earthquake in India.
A Framework Partnership is signed with the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department, recognising Islamic Relief’s capacity to deliver aid to a high standard.
Islamic Relief Canada is founded, headquartered in Burlington, Ontario.
We are at the forefront of providing emergency aid in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia in East Africa’s worst drought for 60 years, killing nearly a quarter of a million people.
We gain access deep inside Syria, providing aid to families devastated by the conflict, as well as working with refugees in bordering Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.
We respond to the European refugee crisis by providing food packs in Macedonia, hygiene kits and blankets in Germany, advice and translation services for refugees arriving in Greece and Italy and short-term shelter and warm clothing in Sweden.
We launch our global rebrand of Islamic Relief: “Saving Lives since 1984” to bring greater awareness of our long-standing values and mission, celebrating what we do best!
Our groundbreaking ‘Honour Her’ campaign is launched as we call on the Muslim and global communities to stand up against violence against women and continue our work across the globe to socially, culturally and economically empower women, additionally launching our Women’s Protection Fund.