The group sang two of their most famous songs, “Intentions” and “M-U-S-L-I-M” as the crowd cheered them on. The girls also asked them questions about their journey and goals in life, while the guys signed their autographs on Native Deen postcards and distributed them to the group.

Native Deen, Maher Zain, Mesut Krutis and Yahya Hawwa are on a three-city tour around the UK with Human Appeal International. We aim to raise £1 million for three hospitals in Syria. The first Sounds of Light Concert will be tonight, November 30^th, 2012 at the Sheridan Suite, Manchester.

It’s been five days since I’ve been back to England. While I resume my daily routine, there have been continuous, relentless attacks on helpless civilians in Gaza. My thoughts are pre-occupied by memories of the beautiful people I met and the great friends I made. I wonder how they are coping, whether they are able to eat and sleep, and above all, whether they are still alive.

I was particularly worried about my young friend Hala and her family. Fifteen-year old, Hala is the eldest of eight children. She is a beautiful young girl, full of life and many aspirations.  Hala takes inspiration from her father Musheer, a very intelligent man who is not afraid to speak his mind. 

At 6pm Gaza time, I finally heard from Hala. Up until that moment I did not know anything about Hala and her father. I felt a great sense of relief as I spoke to them. Hala explained that they were sat in complete darkness, due to a power cut. Within ten minutes of our telephone conversation, I heard a sudden blast, followed by the cries and screams of Hala’s younger brothers and sisters.

Hala screamed, “There‘s a bomb! I saw it; light, fire and smoke! I saw it!”

I could sense the fear and panic in her voice. I asked her if she was ok, she composed herself and responded bravely, “I have to be strong in this life”.

The youngest of the eight children is one-year old Anji. Anji cries in her sleep and needs someone by her side at all times. Every night, Hala holds her baby sister very tight and sings to her to help calm her down.

“Anji does not understand what the loud noises are; she is always scared and crying,” said Hala.

 The second youngest child, three-year old Abdullah, was also shaking with fear. Whenever he hears an explosion, he runs to take shelter under his bed. Hala went on to say that they are not safe in their own home; there are bombings everywhere. “No place is safe in Gaza,” she said. There is not a single corner on this tiny coastal strip of land that has been left untouched. Every major urban centre in Gaza continues to be bombed.

Two days ago, a playground right in front of Hala’s house was targeted. It left a large crater in the ground.  Shrapnel and debris fill the areas that were once places where children play. The impact of the bomb shattered the windows of the house and knocked down the doors. Hala and her family ran out of their home; they feared it would be bombed at any moment.

Hala explained that they are not able to sleep or eat properly. “I have not slept for 4 days; I am definitely exhausted but we can’t sleep with the horrific sound of the bombs going off,” she said.

Hala and her family have also been unable to leave their home for the past eight days. When I asked Hala what she has been doing throughout this time, she responded by saying, “Nothing, I just sit here in the dark, dreaming and imagining. I want to come to London. We are fed up, I just want all the bombing to stop so that I can go outside, see my friends and go back to school.”

 Just as she finished her sentence, I heard yet another explosion. The explosion was so loud it sounded like it was in Hala’s house. Hala’s voice trembled as she said, “It’s getting worse and worse, there are explosions and fires everywhere, the whole building is shaking, it feels like a very bad earthquake.” She explained that the bombings get worse in the night; there are explosions every five to ten minutes. I felt crippled with sadness as Hala spoke; there was nothing that I could say to provide her some comfort.

After speaking to Hala for over an hour, the conversation was reluctantly brought to an end. Finally she said, “I love you so much, talking to you makes me feel stronger.” I promised that I would call again tomorrow.

Hala and her family are among 1.6 million Palestinians in Gaza who have become prisoners in their own homes. They have been terrorised by constant, indiscriminate Israeli attacks. They are living every moment of their lives in fear of what may happen next.

These people need our help. Donate, take action, and make your voice heard!

Please donate to Human Appeal International which is dedicated to providing on-the-ground aid to help the people of Gaza rebuild their shattered lives.

By Ruhina Choudhury – Human Appeal International Volunteer

As I stand at the entrance to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, I feel broken and horrified by the scenes that surround me.  A never-ending influx of injured people flow through the doors of the emergency room. Hospitals are overcrowded. Men, women and children are waiting for treatment, crying out in pain. Very few beds existed before the attacks, now they are even more of a rarity. People are just lying all over the floor, longing for the world to take notice.

We have no medical equipment; even the drip solution is being replaced by salted tap water. I can’t help but wonder if the use of such household treatments can possibly save any of these lives? After all, what is the might of salted tap water against a blown off leg or shrapnel ridden body? I guess this is how people felt hundreds of years ago, before we had invented life saving equipment or before our intelligence had reached the level at which compassion and support were not options but necessities.

Indiscriminate attacks are hitting children, men, women, old and young alike.  My neighbour’s home, two buildings down from where I live and just adjacent to Human Appeal International’s office block, was bombed late last night. My family and I have had to evacuate our home, but we were definitely luckier than our neighbours who are now sprawled across the hospital floors waiting for their wounds to be treated.

My heart is trembling with fear. Any minute now I might receive news of the death of another member in this family. The mother next to me is holding her breath, making silent prayers for the life of her son. Maher, the highest achieving engineering student at Gaza Islamic University, is now lying nearly lifeless in the hospital ward, suffering 40% burns across his back.

Reports have confirmed 115 deaths so far and over 900 people injured.

Gaza needs your help to ease the pain of innocent lives. Donate now and help Human Appeal International make a difference where it is needed most.

By Fady Dawoud who lives in Gaza City. He is the Project Co-ordinator for Human Appeal International’s Gaza Office and has been delivering medical aid since the attacks began. www.humanappeal.org.uk

This experience started earlier in the day. We were visiting a Human Appeal farm, where the locals are trained in agricultural skills, given jobs and are able to cultivate crop and rear livestock. This is a beacon of hope for those living in wooden shacks a few meters from the farm. Only two days prior we had 100 orphans sharing lunch with us and playing games on the green grass.  This was the scene of something tragic. Around 4pm in the afternoon, without warning, two bombs landed 300meters from where we were standing, hitting a residential area in front of us. This was the start of systematic shelling across all of Gaza. Countless people have been injured and the death count is continuing to rise. Why such precious life needs to be lost is a very complex issue. But what I do know is that these people, some of the most generous and welcoming I have met need our help.

Medical aid is at a critical point in Gaza and it is something we can help with by donating generously.

Medical aid is just £75.

They need your help, donate now.

Their first activity was to attend a graduation ceremony for underprivileged children including HAI orphans. The student’s achievements were very impressive with the school achieving some of the highest marks nationally. On Saturday they attended a ceremony where Human Appeal handed over 140 sheltered houses to those affected by the floods in Rahim Yar Khan.

Dr. Othman Moqbel explained to those gathered that despite all relief and development efforts carried out by the government and NGO’s there is still a need for aid and support for the flood victims.

Overall Dr. Othman and Br Hameed have been impressed with the implementation of work and our beneficiaries drive to improve their lives after such devastation has affected their lives. It’s this drive and determination that drives us on to keep doing the good work that we are doing. Alhamdulillah, we have a clear vision about what needs to be done and the direction we are heading. Our major focus is sustainable livelihoods. We want to do more than short term aid, we want to help those people who have been affected by disaster, conflict or poverty so they can rebuild their lives and contribute back to society.

As well as immediate medical relief HAI believes that it is important to provide support for the future development of the medical sector in Palestine. The team were also able to share their knowledge and experience with medical students and postgraduate trainees at a number of teaching and training sessions.  Further the team, along with the Ministry of Health was able to begin the establishment of a much needed kidney transplant centre. There is still a long way to go for Gaza’s medical sector which lacks resources but HAI UK hopes to continue working to strengthen it with your support and donations.

HAI is supporting this initiative which aims to provide support for the victims of the 2010 and 2011 floods in four key areas: homes, education, health

and livelihoods. Br. Othman congratulated the Prince of Wales on the work of the fund and updated him about HAI activities in Pakistan in both 2010 and 2011.

On Friday 16th March we were truly honoured to have welcomed local MP, John Leech to our Manchester office. His presence and support of the good humanitarian work we do reinforces our commitment to help those who need it most, wherever they are in the World.

John paid particularly interest in the holistic approach we take to relief work. He fully understands that emergency aid without any planning is too short-term and can be detrimental to society. He fully commended our approach and was keen on the income generating projects we had set up around the World. From our local community projects; where we support the homeless in Manchester, to our pioneering international Women2Women livelihood program, John Leech was able to see the breadth and scale of the work we do.

We concluded the visit with a tour of our office and an introduction to all the hardworking and lovely staff at Human Appeal International. His glowing praise is a testament to everything we do. In the future, we hope to have the opportunity for John Leech to experience one of our international projects first hand, and see the difference it can make.

Thank you John Leech for your visit.

Conference guests included locals such as Salma Yaqoob, national figures such as Ahmed Alrawi, Nabil Ahmed, Farouq Murad, Mohammed Ali, Murtaza Ahmed Awan, Anas Altiktriti and Batool Al-Toma and international speakers such as the renowned Saudi Khateeb and lecturer Abdullah Basfar, Adnan Rachid and Muslema Purmul. Unfortunately there were apologies from Sheikh Rashid Alghanoushi, Sheikh Aieyed Alkarni and Towakul Karman. Attendees were also treated to nasheeds from the groups Sham and Abdul Nasir. Children had their own play area and a variety of stall holders were selling Islamic goods, so there was something for all the family.

Rizwan Hussain and Rahim Jung from Islam Channel attended and spoke about our projects on stage appealing to the audience to help their brothers and sisters around the world at this time when temperatures are falling and people are dying as a result of the cold. The conference had a family atmosphere and many were affected by the plight of children around the world. Generous attendees sponsored 60 orphans as well as donating for the Syria, Yemen and Olive Trees in Palestine campaigns. We would like to thank everyone who supported us over that weekend.