Muslim Aid, one of the British Muslim charities that were at the forefront of the Grenfell disaster response, is echoing calls for justice and accountability, six years after the tragedy.
The organisation was one of the first to assist victims of the devastating fire, stepping in to fill the gaps where authorities fell short in their response.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Muslim Aid published a report titled “Mind the Gap: A Review of the Voluntary Sector Response to the Grenfell Tragedy.” The report analysed the institutional failings that rendered communities in social housing vulnerable to such tragedies.
The report concluded with a series of recommendations based on the successful collaborative response of the non-governmental sector during both the immediate and long-term recovery phases.
One of these recommendations led to the establishment of the National Emergencies Trust, an entity designed to facilitate charity responses during emergencies.
Despite some significant progress made in the light of their report and advocacy efforts, Muslim Aid remains resolute in its support for the Grenfell victims’ renewed demand for accountability. The fire claimed the lives of 72 people, leaving a lasting impact of trauma within the community.
Mustafa Faruqi, chair of Muslim Aid, said: “The Grenfell fire was a disaster that highlighted the vulnerability of the poorest communities living in the heart of one of the richest cities in the world.
“Unlike many of the natural disasters that Muslim Aid responds to, this was a man-made disaster, and it cannot be right that six years later, no one has been held to account for the deaths of the 72 innocent people that perished.”
