Deen Relief currently has active campaigns in multiple countries across the world which are facing humanitarian and environmental issues, including Syria, Bangladesh and Palestine.
Here are some of the latest problems being faced in these countries.
Syria
Following the fall of the Assad government in 2024, Israel has expanded their military presence in Southern Syria, establishing a network of military outposts across and beyond the 235 km² UN buffer zone that stretches from Mount Hermon to the Yarmouk River.
Unlike Gaza and Lebanon, where Israeli-controlled areas are defined by more explicit borders, the extent of Israel's control in Syria remains unclear. Local residents have reported their daily life being negatively impacted by the military presence due to restricted movement and access to agricultural land, in areas which have already suffered through years of civil war.
On 15th June, a former interrogator for the National Defence Forces was sentenced to 26 years in prison for human rights violations, including sexual violence and torture, which he committed during the Syrian civil war. This is part of ongoing efforts by European Courts to prosecute alleged war criminals from the Assad regime.
Later in the week, on 18th June, British-Syrian filmmaker and activist Hassan Akkad was arrested in Damascus following complaints of alleged slander and defamation, filed by journalist Mousa al-Omar. Akkad was released a few days later, after al-Omar withdrew the complaint, but the circumstances surrounding his arrest have raised concerns amongst journalists, activists, and human right defenders, about freedom of expression and the resolving of public disputes in post-Assad Syria.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh continues to face a major measles outbreak. Since 15th March 2026, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has recorded almost 11,000 confirmed infections, and over 90,000 suspected cases. This has led to the deaths of at least 93 children, and a further 564 children have died of symptoms consistent with a measles infection.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause severe health complications, particularly in young children. Public health experts attribute the higher death toll in Bangladesh to a combination of factors, including gaps in vaccination coverage, barriers to healthcare access in some communities, and higher rates of malnutrition, which can increase the risk of severe complications following infection.
An earthquake hit Bangladesh on Thursday June 18th at 9:29pm, landing 4.4 on the Richter scale and was felt in Dhaka, Sylhet, Comilla, Chittagong and Mymensingh. There were no deaths or casualties, but people are concerned about the increase in earthquakes. Geologists say that Bangladesh is located near an earthquake prone region.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has outlined a series of long-term initiatives aimed at modernising Bangladesh’s transport infrastructure, transforming agriculture into a technology driven and climate resilient sector, and strengthening the country’s capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change.
The number of prisoners in the country’s prisons is about 1.7 more times than the capacity, said Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. As of June 7th, the approved capacity of the country’s 75 prisons is 45,136, whereas the current number of prisoners is 76,113. There has been a housing crisis in some prisons with plans to open new prisons within the country.
As of June 17th, Jordan has announced a general amnesty for undocumented Bangladeshi expatriate workers, allowing them to return home without paying penalties or legalise their status to continue working legally in the country.
The Bangladeshi government is set to open five 200 bed specialised children’s hospitals in Khulna, Barishal, Rangpu and Rajshahi divisions and the Cumilla district within the next six months, with some hospitals aiming to be open by August. The furniture and equipment for the hospitals have already been sorted, and the staff will be allocated by the Minister of Public Administration. Each hospital will have 1475 staff members, an ICU, central air conditioning, and scope for future expansion.
Palestine
The Palestinian football teams (men and women) have not been playing football since the attack on October 7th, 2023. Footballers for the team are losing out on their salary, around $7000 a month, and now must take a lowly job to survive. Despite this inability to play football, that has not stopped Palestinians from watching and celebrating the World Cup.
Israel has seized planning and construction powers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank from Palestinian authorities, breaking an agreement in place since the 1990s. Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Palestinians controlled planning and construction in the entire city of Hebron, including the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs and Ibrahimi Mosque. The Israelis cancelled the Hebron Agreement and the Palestinian Authority condemned it as unlawful.
More than 1000 people in Gaza have been killed since a ceasefire was established between Hamas and Israel. The ceasefire has stopped major fighting, but there has been no implementation of when Israeli soldiers would withdraw from Gaza and Hamas would disarm.
Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah has been killed in an Israeli air attack in the Bureji refugee camp in central Gaza. He is the 12th Al Jazeera media worker to be killed in Gaza since October 2023. His brother was killed on April 8th by Israeli shelling whilst travelling. 260 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023.
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Written by Salma Begum