Al-Majallah report by ‘Umar al-Ansari

Mogadishu — Since the withdrawal of the UN forces, many Somalis have been wondering about their new source of livelihood or relief. Although many people expected all the relief organizations to leave Somalia, Islamic philanthropic activity continued, defying all circumstances. More than 10 Islamic organizations exist in Mogadishu alone, providing all kinds of relief assistance. The World Islamic Relief Organization is considered the most important of these organizations.

Shaykh ‘Abd-al-Rahman al-Qa’idi, who comes to Somalia from time to time, affirms that the Islamic Relief Organization operated in Somalia even before the crisis. It is playing an important role in providing assistance to the Somalis, both in health care and education. He adds that the organization is currently trying to rehabilitate and reopen a number of services destroyed by the war, including schools and hospitals.

The only secondary school in Somalia has been reopened, thanks to the Islamic Relief Organization. Besides this organization, there are other organizations still carrying out their relief and humanitarian activity, such as the Ibrahim Ibrahim Philanthropic Foundation, the Committee of Muslims of Africa, the Islamic Heritage Society, and the Reform Society.