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Our history

Our history

Islamic Relief was founded in 1984 in Birmingham by medical student Hany El-Banna in response to 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. The volunteers secured £135,000 and established 3 international projects in Islamic Relief’s first year of operation. These were 2 chicken farms in Sudan, a shipment of biscuits and vitamins also to Sudan and a shipment of wheat flour to Mauritania.

In 1985, Islamic Relief’s founders hired a small office in a Birmingham community centre. It was run by growing group of committed volunteers who were known to work long into the night on project coordinating and fundraising.

The charity expanded rapidly. Over the next 5 years, we started working in Mozambique, Iran, Pakistan, Malawi, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among other countries, responding to emergencies and distributing clothes and food, offering health support and beginning the long-term project that is now the one-to-one Orphan Sponsorship Programme.

Today Islamic Relief Worldwide is among the world’s largest relief and development charities. With global headquarters in Birmingham, UK, we are the international office of the Islamic Relief federation, which operates in more than 40 countries. In 2022 alone, we ploughed over £193 million into emergency aid, long-term development, and campaigning for change that directly helped over 17.3 million people.

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

Islamic Relief Worldwide is signatory 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. We are also firmly committed to the People in Aid Code of Best Practice.

In 2024, Islamic Relief marked its 40th anniversary! Founded in 1984, we have been serving vulnerable communities across the globe with life-changing support for four decades. 

Our ability to create a positive impact in the communities we serve has earned the trust of our loyal donors, staff and volunteers. 

Islamic Relief has an unwavering, faith-based approach to providing aid and a firm  commitment to robust policies, accountability and transparency. A leading UK charity, we have forged ground-breaking partnerships. 

Discover more about our 40th anniversary here. 

Islamic Relief archive

The Islamic Relief Archive collects and preserves documents, records, digital items and objects that tell the story of Islamic Relief’s history since 1984. It contains items such as project reports, photographs, audio visual materials, flyers, posters and publications, research reports and correspondence as well as objects such as artworks and handicrafts created by project participants.

Access and use

The Islamic Relief Archive is located at the Islamic Relief Worldwide Headquarters in Birmingham, UK and is open for research use by appointment.

Catalogues for the archive collections are being added to the Archives Hub and are available to view Records of Islamic Relief Worldwide – Archives Hub (jisc.ac.uk)

If you would like to know more or to plan a visit to the archive please email

archive@irworldwide.org