Image Source: PBS
World – As Israel continues its genocide and forced starvation of the Palestinian people, Islamic Relief South Africa has faced growing challenges in delivering humanitarian aid, particularly through its annual Qurbani campaign, which provides essential food support to communities in crisis.
The 2025 campaign spanned over 30 countries, including South Africa, with distributions carried out in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and KwaZulu-Natal.
The organisation sought to exceed last year’s reach of 3.5 million beneficiaries by prioritising displaced families, orphaned children, and those affected by war and poverty.
This year, they’ve placed particular emphasis on Gaza, where conditions have deteriorated beyond catastrophic levels.
Abdurahman Kharsany, community fundraiser at Islamic Relief South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal office, said the ongoing blockade had made it nearly impossible to get aid into the territory.
“The blockade was one of the most sorrowful, one of the saddest moments that we in Islamic Relief had to endure—knowing that our efforts, which we presumed would reach the people, were going to be in vain.”
“As we know, the situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Israel’s assault and blockade over the past 19 months has made it, I’d say, the most difficult place in the world to deliver aid,” he said.
Millions are now facing starvation. Hospitals have collapsed, and access to clean water, shelter, and basic medical supplies has all but disappeared.
In this context, Kharsany said that fulfilling Qurbani had become more than a religious duty. It had become a lifeline. To overcome restrictions, Qurbani meat was slaughtered, packaged, and frozen in Egypt, ready to move the moment access was granted.
“We understand that it’s not just a religious obligation at this point. We don’t just need to fulfil our religious obligation. It could quite literally mean the difference between starvation and having food,” he said.
Islamic Relief confirmed that their teams were on standby to deliver the aid as soon as any border crossings opened. If not, the meat would be redirected to other Palestinian communities in Egypt, Jordan, or the West Bank.
“Our firm and first and most dedicated intention is to reach families in Gaza. We did it last year, and we will do it again,” said Kharsany.
