I spent my Eid day in the blistering heat of Banadir Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; a place of trauma, suffering and pain. Before me, I saw mothers with their children and children without their mothers looking around with empty eyes. With temperatures soaring well above 30˚C, and no electricity, food or water, this was an Eid like no other. Having spent many Eids in Scotland, watching the children of Somalia suffering and not knowing this day to be any different was difficult for me to bea

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It’s a bright, sunny day in London. Looking out of my hotel room window, I notice every minute there is at least one plane taking off and landing at Heathrow, London. Some passengers probably going on holidays, some back to work and others may be heading home to their loved one's. I am also going to be flying this evening back to East Africa. My flight will take me to Nairobi and on Monday I will depart to Mogadishu, Somalia to witness the relief work of Islamic Relief. I will spend my Eid

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Today is World Humanitarian Day, a day set to raise awareness about Aid workers, their work, their contribution in helping the needy, the challenges they face in raising funds, accessing disaster areas, delivering relief and development programs locally and/or around the world. I am also part of the International humanitarian community which is made up of approx half a million aid workers, saving lives, empowering the deprived with skills and knowledge, giving them respect and dignity and makin

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Well I was hoping to hear some good news this morning about my departure to Wajir, North Kenya but no luck. I am told due to heavy air passenger load I am added on a waiting list. The frustrating thing is that there is only one flight to wajir per day and a long waiting list. I needed a local mobile sim so heading out to safaricom office, the main mobile network provider. Orange is also here. Back in my office, time to edit and upload a video blog I made of Islamic Relief's CEO Saleh Saeed

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Once again Africa has called me. This time it is East Africa which is suffering droughts, famine and hunger. I have been monitoring the media reports and was expecting a call from my Islamic Relief UK office requesting me to head out to Kenya and Somalia, witness the painful and grave situation, speak to refugees in the north Kenya and internally displaced people in Mogadishu, Somalia. It is said to be worst droughts since 1950. The UN estimates that some 12 million people are already faced wi

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Our Scotland branch of Islamic Relief will be marking the anniversary of the devastating Pakistan floods with an event in the Glasgow city council on July 25, where I will be thanking the Scottish public for their generous response to the devastating floods disaster. I have just returned from Pakistan where I saw amazing examples of how the Scottish public’s support has been used. A young girl named Khatija who was born into the horror of homelessness in the middle of the floods now has a

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