One of the largest faith-based Muslim nonprofits in the world has helped assess home damage from Hurricane Helene in Augusta and across Georgia.
Staff and volunteers from Virginia-based Islamic Relief USA visited Georgia this month in the aftermath of the hurricane to assess home damage, hoping the information can be used to better coordinate resources for affected residents.
At the request of the nonprofit American Red Cross, Islamic Relief traveled to Augusta and other communities in Georgia to support relief operations across the state.
The Islamic Relief team first deployed to western North Carolina, where record-breaking flooding had resulted in at least 95 confirmed deaths and washed away entire neighborhoods and roads. Islamic Relief workers assisted local teams with the ‘dirt and guts’ process for damaged homes, removing contaminated belongings and building materials so the homes could be prepared for mold treatment.
According to Hani Hamwi, manager of Islamic Relief USA’s Disaster Management Team, responding to calls for help in the Southeast is part of the nonprofit’s mission to provide relief and restore dignity regardless of race, gender or religion .
“Work here after a hurricane is as important as any other form of human suffering,” Hamwi said. “When I look at human suffering, I don’t see any political problem, I don’t see any racist problem at all. Human suffering is human suffering, no matter where it is, no matter who is affected by it.”
Hamwi said the hurricane’s impact was devastating in both North Carolina and Georgia, although the Islamic Relief team observed some differences in how that devastation manifested. The devastation in Georgia was most clearly illustrated by the sheer number of fallen trees, while homeowners in North Carolina reported that small streams in their backyards had turned into raging rivers.
“In North Carolina we saw more flash flooding, while in Georgia it looked like we were expecting rain and downed trees, but it was more severe than expected,” Hamwi said. “But in North Carolina it was more types of flash flooding and infrastructure damage.”
Red Cross workers in Georgia said the specific type of assistance Islamic Relief provided, including damage assessments, was desperately needed. Many organizations partner with the Red Cross to provide various services, such as food and financial resources, and the nonprofit says it could not carry out its mission without the help.
More: Hurricane Helene has left a devastating trail in Augusta. Food banks are trying to help.
“Every family’s needs are very different, just as every storm is very different,” said Katie Zwerk, regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Georgia. “Every family’s circumstances are very unique, and so what recovery looks like for one family will be different for another. Knowing what damage has been done and to which home will help us gather information about the resources people will need so they can better recover in the coming months.”
But it could take more than months, Hamwi said.
He recalls when Islamic Relief first began supporting communities in North Carolina after the state was hit hard by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and eight years later, many homeowners are still waiting to rebuild.
“Some people may not know the help exists and come very late, and the house has been abandoned for a while, and for some people all they have to do is go through the process of applying to FEMA,” Hamwi said. . “They may be turned away, they may get partial help and they may get the support they need, but this all takes time.”
But the good news, he also said, is that numerous partners – such as the Red Cross, Islamic Relief and other members of the association National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) – are available to help disaster victims get some of the basic services to get. necessities of life that they may lack.
After working with Islamic Relief for 11 years and seeing disaster areas firsthand, Hamwi is concerned about the likelihood that homelessness will increase dramatically in cities in North Carolina and Georgia in the near future as a result of the hurricane. But that’s also why different groups and communities need to come together and do their best to support each other, he said, and coordination under VOAD is one of the ways that’s being done.
“Their role is just to bring all the resources and the organizations together to identify where the greatest needs are and where organizations can direct their resources, whatever they’re offering,” Hamwi said. “Whether it’s a flood bucket that they can help with; or for water, clothing or reconstruction assistance; whether for mud-and-gut services or financial services, Georgia State VOAD certainly plays a key role here in bringing all these volunteer organizations together. .”
This article originally appeared in Augusta Chronicle: Islamic Relief USA assesses damage to Augusta homes from Hurricane Helene
