KhalsaAid

ABOUT US

Khalsa Aid is an international NGO with the aim to provide humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world. The organisation is based upon the Sikh principle of “Recognise the whole human race as one”.

LATEST NEWS STORIES

31 May 2023

Australia Blood Donation Drive

Khalsa Aid Australia has begun its annual Blood Donation Drive. Across Australia, Khalsa Aid is encouraging volunteers and supporters to give blood to help those in need. In Australia, 1 in 3 people will need blood or blood products in their lifetime, but only 3% of Australians give blood.

Khalsa Aid’s Blood Donation Drive is dedicated to two important events in the Sikh Calendar: Vaisakhi, the Birth of the Khalsa and Remembering the 1984 Sikh Genocide.

In June, Khalsa Aid Australia is targeting 84 blood or plasma donations in each Australian state to commemorate those who lost their lives during the 1984 Sikh Genocide.

Giving blood is a simple five-step process:

  1. Create an account at donateblood.com.au
  2. Login & select ‘My Team’ from the Teams Menu
  3. Search ‘Khalsa Aid’ and click on submit
  4. Select ‘Make Appointment’ from the Appointment Menu
  5. Book your blood donation at your nearest blood donation centre

Here are four key facts about Khalsa Aid Australia’s Blood Donation Drive:

  1. In Australia, one blood donation is needed every 24 seconds.
  2. A single blood donation can save up to 3 lives.
  3. Since January 2020, Khalsa Aid’s Blood Donation Drive has helped save over 5000 lives.
  4. Khalsa Aid is working with Red Cross Australia to reach a goal of 1800 blood donations by 30th June 2023. Find out more here: Lifeblood challenges (donateblood.com.au)

To learn more about the Blood Donation Drive, follow Khalsa Aid Australia on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Be a part of team Khalsa Aid and give blood today – thank you.

20 Apr 2023

11th Annual Snowdon Hike

Join us for an unforgettable experience by hiking Mount Snowdon on Saturday, 8th July 2023

In the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, you will commence your trek along the Llanberis Path. This great challenge will see you and fellow fundraisers hiking to the Snowdon summit, enjoying spectacular views along the way! 

This challenge will test your physical and mental limits, but you will be rewarded by knowing that all your fundraising will go towards supporting our global projects. 

On return, celebrate your achievement with delicious food, snacks and drinks served by our Langar Aid team. You will be awarded a medal to commemorate your achievement and plenty of opportunity to take pictures with the Khalsa Aid team, volunteers and fellow hikers.

29 Mar 2023

Khalsa Aid’s Langar Aid project continues to provide essential aid relief.

In the past year, the UK has seen an unprecedented rise in living costs that have left many unable to afford to pay for daily necessities. According to the Office for National Statistics, 94% of adults in Great Britain reported an increase in their cost of living from January-February 2023.1 From this low-income households were reported to spend a larger proportion than average on energy and food, so were more affected by price increases.

Many food bank charities have also seen an increase in demand; the Trussell Trust reported that in April-September 2022 they provided almost 1.3 million emergency food parcels – an increase of more than 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels.2

Khalsa Aid’s outreach program, Langar Aid, is a long-term relief project providing aid to the homeless, vulnerable, and those facing poverty in the UK. Our team, based in Coventry, has been helping tackle the cost-of-living crisis with more families and individuals reaching out to Langar Aid for support.

Currently, our Langar Aid volunteers serve hot meals 6 days a week. In addition, the teams deliver 300 large food parcels to local schools, community groups, and Ukrainian refugees. Over 18,000 meals are distributed from Langar Aid House across the West Midlands on a weekly basis, preventing hundreds of families from going hungry.

“The Cost of Living Crisis has plunged people into a situation where they have to choose between paying the bills or eating. This is even more devastating when you realise young children are going hungry because of this. We’ve had lots of people tell us that Langar Aid has become a lifeline in the community because people now have access to at least one hot meal a day.” – Avtar Kaur, Langar Aid Project Manager.

Langar Aid’s extraordinary efforts were showcased in a short film, “Feeding Humanity One Meal at a Time.” The team’s inspiring work was recognised when they won the People’s Choice Award at the Charity Film Awards on 21 st March 2023. The film highlights the struggles of the homeless and those facing food insecurity in the UK. The film also highlights the selfless acts of kindness and generosity by Langar Aid volunteers who are determined to make a difference in the lives of others.

The Charity Film Awards is an annual event that recognises and rewards outstanding contributions to charity filmmaking. Being a winner in the awards demonstrates Langar Aid's impact on the lives of those we serve and the importance of telling their story.

“We are thrilled to have our short documentary recognised by The Smiley Charity Film Awards,” said Ravinder Singh, the CEO of Khalsa Aid. “This film is a testament to the tireless efforts of our volunteers and the critical role they play in supporting those in need. We hope it will inspire others to participate and make a difference in their communities.”

Thank you to everyone for their ongoing support of Khalsa Aid. If you want to learn more about Langar Aid, click here.

[1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9428/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Office%20for%20National%20Statistics%2C%2094%25,biggest%20fall%20since%20comparable%20records%20began%20in%201956.

[2] https://www.trusselltrust.org/2022/11/10/almost-1-3-million-emergency-parcels-provided-to-people-across-uk-experiencing-hunger-over-past-six-months-as-cost-of-living-emergency-drives-tsunami-of-need-to-food-banks/

06 Feb 2023

Turkey-Syria Earthquake

4th May 2023 Latest Statement: Turkey Earthquake

As of May 2023, Khalsa Aid's volunteers are still on the ground in Turkey, providing essential aid relief to those impacted by the devastating earthquake.

In the coming weeks, Khalsa Aid is heading into its final stage of distribution and will help local organisations by providing essential aid. For the latest updates on our relief efforts in Turkey, follow Khalsa Aid on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

We want to thank all our supporters for your continued support.

April 2023 Update

Volunteers were initially giving hot meals to those displaced by the earthquake. However, as the direct aftermath of the earthquake began to settle, the type of aid needed began to change. As such, Khalsa Aid expanded its operations and focused on filling the gaps in terms of the type of aid required by distributing essential WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) items such as dignitary packs, along with continuing to provide food packs and blankets.

Volunteers have provided 2000+ food packs, 8000+ blankets, 10,000+ dignity packs and hygiene kits, 19,000+ hot meals, and over 133,000 water bottles.

March 2023 Update

Volunteers bought toys for Children's Day in İslâhiye and continued distributing food and water in Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep with the Iqra Charity. A second team of Volunteers collaborated with a local charity, Yardimeli Charity, to deliver food and water in Şanlıurfa as well as to help the people affected by the flood.

Distribution of 400 food packs continued with BCF in Adıyaman's camps and 100 to Gaziantep and Altar. Khalsa Aid also worked with Iqra to distribute 200 food packs in the villages around İslâhiye where people have been displaced.

Towards the end of March, Khalsa Aid volunteers distributed thousands of water bottles (2000+), hygiene kits (2000+) and dignity packs (3000+) in various areas including Şanlıurfa, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman Afad Camps, and Gaziantep.

Start of Aid Relief - February 2023

Khalsa Aid International mobilised a global response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Turkey. The first response was from the Khalsa Aid Iraq team, dispatched on the ground in Turkey within 24 hours of the earthquake to carry out assessments and deliver emergency support. A truckload of 3,500 blankets accompanied the team for distribution, and the team also set up the initial hot meals service.

Khalsa Aid CEO Ravi Singh arrived in Turkey to support the operational aid efforts. Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF), a non-profit NGO based in the Kurdistan Region-Iraq, has supported Khalsa Aid in setting up Langar (community kitchen) for those displaced in Şanlıurfa and İslâhiye. Our teams were based in Şanlıurfa and İslâhiye and served 3000 hot meals daily.

Special Thanks

The President of Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, thanked Khalsa Aid for the work in Turkey during a visit to the area. We again thank British Airways for supporting Khalsa Aid to transport aid. The cargo allocated was four tonnes of water survival boxes (200 boxes), including water purification equipment, shelter and survival tools, hygiene supplies, and food/drink supplies. These have been donated for free by Watersurvivalbox Ltd.

Thank you to Lotus Flower for their incredible support and for working with Khalsa Aid to pack nearly 2,000 more winter coats, jackets, and socks for children impacted by the earthquake. Sweets were placed in the pockets as a tiny surprise. We thank both Sartaaj Foundation and Jeevan's Gift Foundation (UK) for donating to our earthquake relief efforts.

05 Jan 2023

UK International Student Welfare Project

Our International Student Welfare Project will be providing knowledge, information and support so that those studying in the UK, and their dependents, will feel more integrated into the community and can access any help they require. International students provide valuable resources for companies and this project will aim to reduce any obstacles to their success.

Khalsa Aid International will facilitate a range of events aimed at covering the needs of International Students. Over recent times, we have received reports ranging from loneliness and lack of community to exploitation and grooming. We hope that by giving the students more information about life in the UK and enabling them to make connections with others in a similar position, they can avoid some of the difficulties others have faced.

We are finding that female students are at greater risk of loneliness and exploitation and therefore, in need of more support. For this reason, our first event will be a social gathering for female students so they can build a network within the community.

Following on from this we will have events across the UK, for all students, male and female, to provide information that will help the students with their day-to-day lives and their safety, as well as help them plan for the future. The speakers will come from a range of fields, such as police, lawyers, visa specialists, mental health experts and student services. The information they receive will enable the students to get the help they need from the correct places and reduce the risk of exploitation.

Each attendee must have an individual ticket. There is no charge for the tickets, but they are necessary for administration purposes.

Choose the event you wish to attend from the list below to book your ticket. We will be adding more events in locations around the UK soon so keep an eye on Khalsa Aid International’s social media for updates.

Please be aware that Khalsa Aid International will not be able to provide financial assistance but can give information to help find further help in the community.

For further information please email uk.studentsupport@khlasaaid.org



05 Jan 2023

Supporting NHS

Khalsa Aid is committed to providing assistance and support to those in need, especially during times of crisis. That is why we were deeply concerned to hear about the unbearable pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, which is expected to continue until Easter. As reported by the British Medical Association, waiting times for Accident & Emergency (A&E) in England are now at their highest level since records began, with over 4 million people waiting more than 4 hours for treatment.

In response to this crisis, Khalsa Aid has been delivering refreshing snacks and drinks to A&E departments across numerous London hospitals on a daily basis since 22nd December 2022. We wanted to do our part to help ease the distress caused to both patients and staff, who are working under extremely challenging circumstances.

Our CEO, Ravinder Singh, had this to say about the programme: "If your A&E department needs our support during this hectic and chaotic period, please reach out to us. We are happy to support our frontline workers and those patients who are waiting hours to be treated. Our NHS staff are the real heroes."

We were humbled to receive tremendous positive feedback within a few days of the programme launching. An example below is from Lucy Tebbit, a healthcare worker at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, who said, "We are so very grateful. I have experienced you all coming round and I know both the staff and patients have been very grateful. We are working in very challenging times and your generosity has made days a little easier. Thank you." This was one of many wonderful messages we received from both staff and patients.

Many of the patients our volunteers have spoken to have been waiting for up to nine hours and have not had any food or drink in that time, either because the cafes are closed, the hospital vending machine is not working or out of stock, or they are simply afraid to miss their turn in the waiting list.

We are committed to continuing our efforts to support the NHS and its dedicated staff as they work to provide essential care to those in need.

If you know of an A&E department that could use our support, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@khalsaaid.org.

Our Projects

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  • Jul 2022

    Water4Africa – Gambia

    With an ever-changing climate and droughts becoming more frequent, access to clean drinking water is a growing problem for many communities in Africa. This is why we setup the Water4Africa

    Nov 2021

    Madagascar Famine Relief

    Madagascar is in the midst of an emergency-level food crisis. The country has regularly been the victim of natural disasters but, following years of harsh weather conditions, June 2021 brought

    Oct 2018

    Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

    Indonesia – Earthquake and Tsunami Relief A powerful earthquake ( 7.5 magnitude ) struck off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, creating a tsunami which devastated the areas of Palu and

    Aug 2018

    Kerala Floods Relief

    Kerala-India Floods Relief More than one million people were left homeless or trapped after the southern Indian state of Kerala saw its worst flooding in more than 90 years. Many

    Jan 2018

    Congolese (DRC) Refugee Response

    The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing one of the world’s most underreported refugee emergencies. Khalsa Aid International first visited the region in January 2018, following reports of

    Aug 2017

    Restoring Electricity to Assyrian Orthodox Christians

    Bartella is a small Assyrian Orthodox Christian town in Northern Iraq. This town was devastated by ISIS during their campaign of terror - which included slayings, abductions and destruction of

    Jun 2017

    Grenfell Tower (London) Fire

     On 14 June 2017, a fire spread through the 24-storey Grenfell Tower council housing block in West London – situated just 30km from the Khalsa Aid head office. Our volunteers

    Mar 2017

    Life changing aid for Syrian refugees with disabilities

     Lebanon is host to 1.5 million Syrian refugees - more per capita than any other country in the world. Khalsa Aid International carried out further assessment to understand how we

    Jan 2017

    Syrian refugee emergency relief

    Turkey is one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world, and its southern city of Adana is one of the many cities seeing a huge influx of refugees fleeing

    Jan 2017

    Winter Camp Relief and Women’s Aid

    Torbali is a farming district about 50km from Izmir. It is home to a number of informal refugee camps, housing some of the three million refugees who have fled war

    Jan 2017

    Project Dignity: Essential Clothing for Yezidi women, ex slaves of ISIS

    Northern Iraq is home to the Yezidi community, one of the most vulnerable religious groups in the world. In 2014 ISIS targeted the Yezidis, killing the men, taking young boys

    May 2016

    Greece: Refugee Crisis

    More than one million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in 2015, sparking the biggest refugee crisis in the EU since the Second World War. Khalsa Aid relief teams have

    Dec 2015

    UK Floods 2015

    Flooding had a devastating impact on parts of the UK in late 2015. Areas in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria were adversely affected with people evacuated from their homes and entire

    Jul 2015

    Yemen Civil War

    The civil war in Yemen has had a disastrous impact on the country. Over 2.5 million people have had to flee their homes and have become internally displaced persons (IDPs).

    Apr 2015

    Nepal earthquake 2015

    In April 2015 a devastating earthquake hit Nepal killing over 8,000 people and injuring 21,000. Khalsa Aid dispatched an emergency relief team which were on the ground within 36 hours

    Mar 2015

    Drinking water for flood victims in Malawi

    In February 2015, heavy rains hit the Phalombe region in the North East Constituency of Malawi. The river banks flooded which created havoc for the local communities there, with initial

    Feb 2015

    Australia: Cyclone Marcia

    In 2015 a category 5 tropical cyclone made its way over the Queensland area in Australia.  Cyclone Marcia is estimated to have caused $590m of damage in the local area.

    Oct 2014

    Vishakhapatnam Cyclone

    in 2014, a severe Cyclone storm, named Hudhud caused extensive damage and loss of life in eastern India and Nepal. Hudhud caused extensive damage to the city of Visakhapatnam and

    Sep 2014

    Floods in Jammu and Kashmir, India

    In the wake of heavy monsoon rain and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir, which have killed over 400 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Indian Armed Forces were deployed

    Jul 2014

    Riots Relief Saharanpur, India

    In the summer of 2014, communal riots occurred in the city of Saharanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. As a result of the clashes many innocent families were affected

    Jul 2014

    Displaced Sikhs in Iraq

    Economic migrants from Punjab were positioned in Iraq, working as manual labourers in the county. They were forced to flee the country amid security fears due to the rise of

    Jun 2014

    Providing Bread to Syrian Refugees in Iraq

    In the Summer of 2014, the rise of ISIS led the Yezidi and Assyrian communities to leave their homes and become refugees, becoming a very difficult situation for the people

    May 2014

    Bosnia Floods

    Catastrophic flooding in the Balkans region (the worst for over a century) with over 3 months worth of rain falling in a few days led to the devastation of local

    May 2014

    Sudanese Refugee Camp, Uganda

    More than half a million people fleeing violence and human rights abuses, mostly from South Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have now found protection and safety in

    Apr 2014

    Lebanon: Refugee support

    As the conflict in Syria escalated many Syrians crossed the border into Lebanon to seek refuge. In 2014, Khalsa Aid dispatched a relief team to Lebanon to support refugees in

    Jan 2014

    UK Floods – 2014

    In late 2013 and early 2014, severe floods hit parts of Britain including Somerset and Berkshire. Khalsa Aid undertook various initiatives to support communities affected in the UK. A summary

    Dec 2013

    Phillipines Typhoon

    Following the devastating Typhoon in December 2013, Khalsa Aid launched a relief program to assist the victims. The relief team adopted a small town on the coast called San Dionisio,

    Sep 2013

    Muzaffarnagar Riots

    The clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India in end of September 2013, resulted in at least 62 deaths including 42 Muslims and 20

    Jun 2013

    Uttarakhand Floods

    In June 2013, a multi-day cloudburst centred on the North Indian state of Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides becoming the country's worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami.  Khalsa

    Aug 2012

    Water Borehole, Kenya

    Khalsa Aid were contacted by local communities in Kenya who had no access to clean drinking water and required support in building suitable facilities (the nearest water facility was over

    May 2011

    Famine Relief, Kenya

    A bloody civil war in Somalia resulted in one of the biggest refugee camps in the world (over half a million refugees). This hardship was further compounded by a prolonged drought

    Mar 2011

    Libya & Syria (2011)

    In 2011, internal conflict gave rise to civil war in Libya. Migrant workers were escaping the war into neighbouring Tunisia. Our teams provided emergency humanitarian aid on the Tunisian/Libyan border.

    Jun 2010

    Haiti Earthquake (2010)

    The devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti left 220,000 people dead, destroyed 50% of the schools and adversely affected over 3,500,000 people. In 2010, Khalsa Aid partnered with United Haitians in

    Aug 2009

    Cambodia Orphan Children

    In 2009, Varinder Singh, a dentist from Slough, won a £750 cash prize from work to offer voluntary dental services abroad. He chose to do this work in association with Cambodia World

    Mar 2009

    Displaced Sikhs in Pakistan

    In 2009 Khalsa Aid provided relief to the Sikh and Hindu refugees at Panja Sahib Gurdwara, Pakistan.The refugees requested Khalsa Aid to provide them with sanitary items. The purchase of

    Aug 2007

    Punjab Floods 2007

    Catastrophic flooding in Punjab affected over 50,000 people. Many villages suffered immense economic hardship and loss of basic living conditions. Over 134 villages and11,080 hectares of standing crop were affected.  Khalsa

    May 2007

    Bangladesh Cyclone 2007

    The 2007 cyclone in Bangladesh was one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country. International NGOs estimated that between 5,000 - 10,000 died as a result of the

    Mar 2006

    Indonesia Tsunami

    In May 2016, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the Indonesian island of Java. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean and caused damage

    Mar 2005

    Pakistan Earthquake

    In 2005 a major earthquake occurred in Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) and in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). It registered 7.7 on the Richter scale making it similar in intensity

    Dec 2004

    Andaman Islands: Tsunami

    In 2004 an undersea earthquake occurred off the coast of the Tsunami Islands. With an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra the earthquake caused a series of devastating tsunamis'

    Jul 2003

    Somalia Water Purification

    In 2003 Khalsa Aid flew to Somalia to provide assistance. Upon landing in Somalia, the village elders informed us that they had a very high rate of stomach-related illnesses due

    Jul 2003

    Kabul Refugee Aid

    In 2003, Khalsa Aid were contacted by local NGOs to provide assistance to minority communities in Afghanistan. Khalsa Aid launched a relief program with experienced field operatives. Khalsa Aid provided

    Jan 2002

    Congo / Rwanda – Volcanic Eruption

    In January 2002, a volcanic eruption brought death and destruction to the people of Goma, Rwanda. The eruption was 35 km away from the city of Goma, but the thick

    Jan 2001

    Gujarat Earthquake

    A very powerful earthquake shook the western Indian State of Gujarat on January 26, 2001 killing thousands of people and destroying almost all of the buildings in the area. Khalsa Aid

    Dec 1999

    Orissa Cyclone

    In October 1999 the Indian state of Orissa suffered a devastating cyclone, which killed over 30,000 people (external estimates put the death toll at over 40000). Khalsa Aid dispatched 2

    Aug 1999

    Turkey Earthquake

    In August 1999 a devastating earthquake struck North Western Turkey, it caused significant structural damage and killed thousands. The earthquake measured 7.9 on the Richter Scale and official damage estimates

    Apr 1999

    Albania – Providing Assistance to Displaced Victims of Civil War & Genocide

    In April 1999, while Sikhs around the world were celebrating 300 years of the Khalsa Panth (Vaisakhi), a very bloody war in Kosovo was raging with thousands of innocent victims