ISLAMIC RELIEF
Birmingham’s Victoria Square Becomes a Refugee Camp
23/06/08

On Saturday 14th June, Islamic Relief set up refugee camp in Birmingham City Centre to raise awareness about the plight of asylum seekers and refugees.




Stepping into a new world

Sudanese Refugees Sudan, Africa's largest country, has been at war for over three decades. Civil war has ravaged the country, killing over 2 million people, and injuring thousands more. Four million Sudanese have fled their homes, displaced internally or as refugees. Most cannot return home while the war continues, and have lost their livelihoods, homes and land. slamic Relief began working in Sudan in 1984 in response to devastating floods in Khartoum, and registered its field office in 1991. Islamic Relief's Sudanese connection however goes back to the devastating famine that gripped the country in the 1980's - Islamic Relief was founded as a response to that desperate situation. To Read more about the situation in Sudan and about other Refugee camps around the world click here

Passers by were exposed to the reality of life in some of the world’s most inaccessible and arduous refugee camps, as they were invited by Islamic Relief staff to step into real refugee tents and see for themselves the rigours of camp life.

Schools Refugee Event

On the day before, Islamic Relief had run activities about refugees with a large group of school children.  The purpose of this was to instil some respect for what many people in the world escape.

Sounds of a refugee camp

A sound demonstration of the ‘sounds of a refugee camp’ accompanied the stall and brought the stall to life. All this formed part of a citywide initiative called ‘Celebrating Sanctuary’ that seeks to challenge some of the prejudice surrounding asylum-seekers and refugees.

Islamic Relief providing aid to refugees

For the last 20 years, Islamic Relief has been at the forefront of rushing emergency aid to some of the most desperate people on earth. This has included the recent conflicts in Chechnya and Afghanistan during which hundreds of thousands of civilians have lost their homes and livelihoods. For this reason, Islamic Relief chose to exhibit a typical tent used by Chechen refugees, and one used by Afghans in the blazing deserts of southern Afghanistan.




Providing a reality check

Schools parties, shoppers and many an unsuspecting pedestrian found themselves affected by the visual spectacle and the stories of suffering that Islamic Relief staff were able to relate. One stunned visitor said how she was “not aware that people do live in such conditions.”

Celebrating Sanctuary

Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress Visit Islamic Relief's Stall

Islamic Relief joined the ‘Celebrating Sanctuary’ Project to add its voice to the call for greater understanding of, and compassion for, some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Birmingham, home to so many varied and thriving communities, is one of the most inspiring examples of how different peoples have successfully settled and have helped to generate prosperity for their regions.

Islamic Relief dedicated to alleviating poverty

The UK, despite the impression given in some parts of the media however, takes in but just a tiny fraction of the world’s refugees and asylum seekers. Alongside such initiatives as Celebrating Sanctuary in the UK and of course across the many refugee camps abroad, Islamic Relief remains dedicated to alleviating the plight of refugees across the world.

If you would like to donate to Islamic relief’s work, you can do so in one of two quick and easy methods.  First, you can click here to donate quickly and safely online using your credit or debit card.

If you prefer to speak to someone, you can phone our UK-based call centre on 0800 520 0000 to speak to one of our fully trained staff members.  They will also be able to answer any questions you have, or find the answers for you.