New Delhi, 11 May 2015: India’s neighbouring nation Nepal suffered huge loss of human lives and properties due to the massive and devastating earthquake on 25^th April. The world community including our country India rushed to Nepal with help. Within 48 hours of the disaster, a relief team of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind also reached Kathmandu and started relief work. Under the leadership of Mohammad Shafi Madani, National Secretary, Dept. of Social Service, a team from the headquarters of Jamaat in New Delhi also reached the Himalayan nation and organized the ongoing relief work of the Jamaat there.

A Brief Report:

•  On the 3^rd day of the earthquake, a five-member relief team of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind reached Nepal. The team had Rizwan Ahmed Rafeeqi, Shamsuddin and their three colleagues from Ideal Relief Wing (IRW) Kerala.

• The relief team from the headquarters of Jamaat, under the leadership of Mohammad Shafi Madani, National Secretary, Dept. of Social Service, reached Nepal on 1^st May. He was accompanied by Mohammad Nayyar from Markazi Maktaba Islamic Publishers and Irfan Ahmed, Coordinator, Society for Bright Future (SBF). The team assessed and organized Jamaat’s ongoing relief work in Kathmandu. The team contacted Islami Sangh Nepal, which was doing relief work at large scale in Nepal, and got aware of the current situation. Muslim organizations from around nine countries are doing relief work in Nepal with the help of Islami Sangh Nepal.

• The central relief team of Jamaat visited several earthquake-affected areas in Kathmandu to get first-hand information about the actual losses. The team, in the company of Maulana Ghulam Rasool Falahi, former chief of Islami Sangh Nepal, visited Sindh Pal Chowk, the most affected district of Nepal. The district, four hours from Kathmandu, is a hilly area where devastations took place at large scale. The Jamaat team was also accompanied by Mohammad Zakir, Member of Nepalese parliament and Najibullah, an eminent political leader. The team visited two villages Dorali and Tulsibari. The team also met Chief District Officer Krishan Prasad Gemari and his deputy Bharat Prasad Acharya in the district headquarters. The area has 100% Hindu population. The people were surprised at the visit of a Muslim relief team there. It appeared as if they were meeting Muslims for the first time.

• The team visited Benighat, a village in Gorkha district, around 70 kms from Kathmandu. The team had Mohammad Ayyub, an official from Islami Sangh Nepal. Some 170 of the total 220 homes in the village were affected by the earthquake. The team met some eminent members of the village including Bhujnath Yatmal, Nasir khan and Moinuddin Nadwi. A good number of the villagers were also present. The team surveyed the entire village and found some houses need repairing while others would be rebuilt. The Jamaat team selected the village for its future rehabilitation plan. The village has a mosque and a residential madrasa where 80 boys are studying.

• The Jamaat relief team also met several other relief teams and NGOs and held a meeting which was addressed by Jamaat’s Secretary Mohammad Shafi Madani.

• From the Relief Fund of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, food kits worth Rs 25 lakh were distributed among the victim families. A total number of 22 people from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, IRW and SBF are camping in Nepal for relief work.

• Four medial teams of IRW comprising four doctors and 12 volunteers are also rendering their services there.

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