About us

Islamic Relief is a faith-based relief and development agency working to save and transform the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Established in 1984, we now work in over 45 countries assisting individuals, families and communities through emergency response and development projects that typically help over 10 million people each year.

Close to the communities we serve, we work hard to understand their culture and needs and gain their trust. Our proximity means we can often respond swiftly to emergencies and work in areas that other organisations cannot access.

Our humanitarian and development projects typically help over 10 million people every year, contributing directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We help communities to better protect themselves against recurrent challenges such as drought and floods, and we deliver lifesaving emergency aid when disaster strikes. We provide vital services such as healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene. Our livelihoods and education projects empower people to escape poverty and build brighter futures.

To maximise our impact and build community resilience, Islamic Relief develops the capacity of local partners to work alongside us in delivering effective aid and development programmes. Through global advocacy we push for positive change particularly on climate change, gender justice and forced displacement, and we develop Islamic perspectives that combine spiritual and practical insights to provide distinctive, impactful approaches to some of the biggest challenges facing our world.

The high quality and impact of our work means we are among only 5 UK-based charities to have been certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS). As full members of the INGO Accountability Charter, our excellence in transparency, good governance and social responsibility is recognised.

We are signatories to the Red Cross Code of Conduct, which sets ethical standards for organisations involved in humanitarian work and commits us to the important principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. One of the world’s largest relief and development charities, we are also firmly committed to the People in Aid Code of Best Practice.

Our values and faith perspective

Islamic Relief is a faith-based humanitarian relief and development organisation fully committed to humanitarian principles and standards. Islam underpins our organisational identity, values and culture and informs everything we do.

We are guided by the timeless values and teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, the prophetic example. In particular, our organisation is committed to 5 key values:

Sincerity (ikhlas) – We are driven and motivated by sincerity to God and our duty to humanity.

Excellence (ihsan) – A commitment to excellence is a hallmark of our operations, programmes and conduct towards the vulnerable people we serve.

Compassion (rahma) – Every life is precious, so we join other humanitarian actors in easing the suffering caused by disasters, poverty and injustice.

Social Justice (adl) – We empower poor and vulnerable people to have their rights fulfilled and to achieve their God-given potential.

Custodianship (amana) – We value and protect the Earth and its resources, including its people, and we aim to honour the trust people place in us to be transparent and accountable.

We are a policy leader in the arena of Islamic humanitarianism, developing distinctive and practical approaches to the key issues that are affecting our world today – including climate change, gender justice, forced migration, peacebuilding, child protection and inclusion.

Our Islamic values and insights influence all aspects of our work, and sit alongside our decades of development experience in helping to shape humanitarian and social justice approaches in the broader sector.