to a high standard. Islamic Relief purports to have been one of the few international aid agencies assisting people in Iraq when war broke out in 2003, providing £9 million worth of aid to people in need. In 2005, Islamic Relief launched its biggest-ever operation in the United States, supporting those affected by Hurricane Katrina. That same year, the charity joined the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). It remains a member, along with 14 other major charities. 2010s In 2010, Islamic Relief launched a major relief and reconstruction operation in Pakistan after the country was hit by the worst floods in living memory at the time. Its work benefited some 428,000 people in more than 580 villages, the charity has reported. 2014 saw Islamic Relief begin a partnership with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) – the first of its kind between global Islamic and Christian humanitarian organisations. The agreement formalised a programme of joint humanitarian project, policy, research and advocacy, focusing specifically on faith and protection issues. The decade was punctuated by the conflicts in both Syria and Yemen which according to the United Nations has left a combined 29 million people as refugees. 2020 - Present day The spread of Covid-19 impacted Islamic Relief’s work around the world, delaying some projects and prompting new emergency responses to cope with the fallout of the pandemic. The charity continued to deliver aid in a safe manner where possible and moved some of its activities and events online. In 2020 the international federation of Islamic Relief entities launched a new global governance framework, establishing an International General Assembly from which representatives from around the world elect Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Board of Trustees. In 2021, Islamic Relief was recertified against the prestigious Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS), a rigorous standard made up of nine commitments designed to ensure charities best meet the needs of the communities they serve. Islamic Relief is one of only five UK-based charities to hold the full independent certification, which will last until May 2025. The charity was first certified against the CHS in 2017. In 2022, Islamic Relief marked World Refugee Day with a joint conference with the LWF, and another of its close faith-based partners HIAS, on ‘Welcoming the Stranger’. Islamic Relief's work Vision and mission Islamic Relief’s work is guided by the values and teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, the prophetic example.