S’pore charity Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation raises over $430,000 for Pakistanis affected by floods

The fund will be used to provide aid in the form of food, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene items. PHOTO: PAKISTAN RED CRESCENT

SINGAPORE - Local charity Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) has raised more than $430,000 to help Pakistanis affected by the ongoing floods, the highest amount it has raised for a humanitarian effort this year. 

In collaboration with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and mosques here, it has raised $432,852, which will be used to provide aid in the form of food, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene items, RLAF said on Wednesday.

The fund-raising initiative was held from Aug 31 to Sept 14.

RLAF – the name of the charity means “blessings to all” in Arabic – said that the funds will be channelled through the SRC.

SRC is working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and its partners on the ground, including the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, to deliver aid to affected communities.

In September, Pakistani officials said the floods, which were brought about by record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan’s northern mountains, have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,314, including 458 children.

RLAF chief executive Muhammad Faizal said the charity is grateful to everyone who contributed to the cause.

“While this sum may not amount to what is required for the extensive recovery efforts in Pakistan, we hope that this will provide some relief in alleviating the immediate needs of the affected communities,” he said.

Mr Benjamin William, secretary general and chief executive of SRC, said: “RLAF’s most recent fund-raising efforts for the 2022 Pakistan floods will provide tangible aid for the affected, as the communities face complex and multi-faceted challenges. RLAF has made significant contributions to our humanitarian response and we hope to continue this important life-saving partnership.”

RLAF was established by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore in July 2009 to provide grants for humanitarian and community development projects.

It has also raised funds for other humanitarian efforts in 2022, including $155,005 for those affected by an earthquake in Afghanistan as well as $45,740 for flood survivors in Malaysia.

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