Human Appeal CEO on the good work politicians do for charity

The chief executive officer of UK-based aid and development non-profit Human Appeal has spoken of the good work politicians are doing to help charitable causes. Othman Moqbel stated that while Lords and MPs are often presented as being it “in it for themselves”, his personal experiences as head of Human Appeal tell a different story.

He said that in his role, he has met and worked with politicians from across the political spectrum and has found that all of those who engage with the charity want to make the world a better place for people to live in. He added that the only difference between the different parties is the route they take to achieve this goal.

How politicians are playing their part

Mentioning specific individuals, Mr Moqbel noted that former international development ministers Clare Short and Andrew Mitchell MP have become “true friends” of Human Appeal. They visited the Syrian-Turkish border to see the charity’s renowned Syrian flour distribution project and they wrote a letter addressed to the International Development Select Committee highlighting the concerns that organisations like Human Appeal face in relation to their funding.

Also playing their part, the MPs Mark Williams, Joanna Cherry and Flick Drummond travelled to the West Bank to see a range of charity projects focussing on everything from healthcare to clean water and vocational training. Ms Cherry also mentioned this work in Parliament.

Meanwhile, Baroness Warsi, Crispin Blunt MP and Lord Dubs helped to launch a recent Human Appeal event in Parliament marking six years since the start of the Syrian conflict.

Focussing on those in need closer to home, the MPs Kate Green, Andy Burnham and Jim McMahon OBE, along with councillors Jane Brophy and John Leech, helped Human Appeal to collect more than 1,500 coats to give to homeless people in Greater Manchester as part of the #WrapUpManchester campaign.

Going further, these MPs may even choose to make monetary contributions for NGOs working towards causes that can actually create an impact in the society. Social change might not always be measurable in tangible form, and so these organizations can make use of impact measurement tools to ensure that the funds they receive are put to the best possible use.

Helping millions of those in need

Mr Moqbel stated that these politicians and others like them helped the charity to stop the suffering of millions of people across the globe in 2016 alone, and the work the organisation does would be much more difficult without their support. Concluding his remarks, he thanked the politicians on behalf of Human Appeal.

As well as politicians, prominent sports people have supported the charity. For example, Chelsea stars Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry and Eden Hazard took part in a Human Appeal event in London to raise money for street children in Senegal.

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