Statement regarding the detention of an employee of an implementing partner organisation

Al Khair Foundation is aware that Mohammad Yousef Hasna, an employee of one of our implementing partner organisations overseas, was detained during a visit to the United Kingdom on 31 July on suspicion of terrorism offences.

Al Khair Foundation is a humanitarian organisation established in 2003. We are a proudly British, UK-registered charity with a distinguished record spanning more than two decades of delivering humanitarian assistance and alleviating poverty and suffering in more than 75 countries worldwide. We take our responsibility to safeguard the funds entrusted to us by our generous donors with the utmost seriousness and are committed to ensuring they are used for their intended humanitarian purposes.

We are committed to delivering humanitarian assistance in accordance with our charitable objectives, humanitarian principles and all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Our work is guided by Islamic values of compassion, integrity and service to those most in need. We maintain robust governance, compliance and oversight processes designed to help ensure that aid reaches its intended beneficiaries.

As a humanitarian organisation, we work in some of the world's most challenging and complex environments, where communities face conflict, displacement, famine and natural disasters. Our sole purpose is to save lives, alleviate suffering and help people rebuild their futures, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.

Humanitarian organisations frequently operate in environments affected by conflict and complex geopolitical realities. These conditions can create significant operational challenges, but they do not alter our commitment to delivering impartial humanitarian assistance in accordance with humanitarian principles, applicable laws and our charitable objectives.

Al Khair Foundation wishes to make the following clear:

· Mohammad Yousef Hasna is employed by one of our implementing partner organisations. He is not an employee of Al Khair Foundation.

· We transfer funds to our implementing partners only through established banking channels, with payments designated for specific, pre-approved humanitarian programmes.

· Before entering into any partnership, we undertake due diligence and compliance checks to help ensure that partner organisations and relevant individuals are not subject to applicable sanctions or included on relevant lists of designated or proscribed persons or organisations maintained by the competent authorities.

In accordance with our regulatory obligations, we have submitted a Serious Incident Report to the Charity Commission and will cooperate fully with the Commission and any other relevant authorities.

As a prudent compliance measure, we have temporarily paused any future funding to the implementing partner organisation while the relevant authorities carry out their investigations.

We recognise that this news may be concerning to our supporters, partners and the communities we serve. We remain committed to transparency, accountability and the responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us, while continuing our humanitarian mission to support those most in need.

Given that this is an ongoing matter, and having taken legal advice, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this stage. We will continue to cooperate fully with the relevant authorities and remain committed to the highest standards of humanitarian integrity, governance and compliance.