Yes. Human Appeal USA is a registered, regulated, and independently audited 501c3 nonprofit organization. We operate under U.S. nonprofit law and are subject to rigorous external audits, regulatory filings, and internal compliance processes.
No. Funds raised for humanitarian or development projects are used for those projects.
Every donation made to Human Appeal USA for a specific emergency humanitarian response, whether for Gaza or other crises, is used exclusively for that purpose, minus Human Appeal USA’s standard and publicly disclosed admin cost. These costs apply universally across all campaigns.
We identified reporting errors in our publicly filed Form 990 as part of Human Appeal USA’s standard financial oversight and governance practices, before external inquiries had been made. These errors occurred during a period of leadership transition, which resulted in incorrect figures being reported. Human Appeal USA has identified these errors and has been proactively working with independent, external auditors to provide a formal correction and addenda to the IRS to ensure that the public record accurately reflects the organization’s finances. The review and corrective process began before any external inquiries or public claims were made, as part of Human Appeal USA’s standard financial oversight and governance practices.
Yes. All donations received for Gaza were used for emergency humanitarian response in Gaza, minus Human Appeal USA’s standard admin cost.
Influencer commission fees are provided a separate, unrestricted budget that Human Appeal has for domestic projects. Human Appeal uses strict internal controls to ensure donations are tracked separately from unrestricted funds and spent only on their designated purpose. These processes are subject to both rigorous internal review and external auditing. These safeguards apply regardless of how funds are raised, or by whom.
No. These claims are completely false.
Human Appeal USA has never used AI-generated beneficiary videos to promote work in Gaza or elsewhere. Such claims are baseless and irresponsible and undermine the humanitarian relief efforts of our nearly 50 staff delivering aid on the ground under extreme risk, three of whom have lost their lives while on duty.
Human Appeal USA entered into a formal partnership with an influencer in 2023 to support humanitarian fundraising efforts related to multiple emergency response campaigns. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) stipulated that any commission fees associated with this partnership were not to be retained by the influencer but to be donated in full to a designated, university-affiliated research lab and advocacy center focused on combating Islamophobia, with which the individual is affiliated. Moreover, all commission fee funds donated to the research lab came from Human Appeal USA’s unrestricted funding pool, not from donations received for emergency appeals or donor funds raised for Gaza or any other humanitarian emergency. All donations raised in relation to the individual’s partnership with Human Appeal USA were used for their intended purpose, supporting emergency response on the ground, minus Human Appeal USA’s standard admin costs, which apply universally across all programs and partnerships.
Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure full accountability and transparency, Human Appeal USA has paused all work with the individual and begun a full review of the MOU, including an independent external audit.
In this specific case, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) stipulated a 13% + fees commission, with the explicit understanding that all funds associated with this percentage were not personal compensation, but were to be directed in full toward professional services, research, and advocacy work conducted through a university-affiliated research and advocacy center focused on combating Islamophobia (the Islamophobia Research and Advocacy Center).
Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure full accountability and transparency, we have paused the all work with the individual and are seeking confirmation regarding how all related influencer commissions were used.
Human Appeal was established in 1991 and has more than 30 years of global humanitarian experience. However, Human Appeal USA itself is a much newer organization.
The U.S. office registered in 2021 but had a soft launch in 2022 with the majority of the staff being hired in 2023. At that time, Human Appeal USA was still in its infancy, with limited staffing, developing systems, and a small team that was learning and adapting quickly to U.S. regulatory and operational requirements.
Because the U.S. office team was new at launch, it relied heavily on support from long-established Human Appeal partner offices abroad for admin support. While this support allowed the organization to begin delivering aid quickly, it also meant that some internal systems and controls were still being built and refined.
As the organization grew rapidly, gaps in experience and process became apparent. These gaps contributed to administrative and reporting mistakes that have since been identified. Since then, Human Appeal USA has been strengthening internal capacity, hiring experienced staff, tightening governance, and improving financial oversight to ensure greater accountability moving forward.
We recognize that being a young organization comes with lessons learned, and we are committed to applying those lessons to build a stronger, more resilient Human Appeal USA.
Human Appeal USA has taken decisive and concrete actions to strengthen oversight, accountability, and internal controls, notably:
Engaged new, independent external auditors to conduct a thorough review of our financial reporting and ensure accuracy, compliance, and transparency across all filings.
Initiated corrections to prior financial filings, including submitting formal amendments and addenda to ensure the public record accurately reflects our finances.
Strengthened internal governance and approval processes, including tighter review protocols for contracts, expenditures, and financial reporting, with clearer lines of accountability and oversight.
Implemented stricter policies around fundraising agreements, including the elimination of percentage-based compensation tied to influencer fundraising, to ensure consistency with best practices and donor expectations.
Separated and clarified roles and responsibilities within finance, compliance, and leadership to prevent gaps in oversight during periods of transition or rapid growth.
Personnel involved in the identified errors are no longer with the organization, and leadership has taken responsibility for rebuilding systems with experienced professionals and clearer controls.
These steps reflect our commitment not only to correcting past mistakes, but to learning from them and building a stronger, more resilient Human Appeal USA—one that upholds the trust placed in us by donors, partners, and the communities we serve.
We welcome respectful, direct questions through official channels. We encourage supporters to rely on verified data and documented humanitarian impact, not social media speculation or misinformation. [email protected]
Human Appeal has operated in Gaza since 1991, opening an office in 2016 working across north, middle, and south Gaza, providing food, water, medical care, shelter, and education despite challenging conditions.
Between 2023 and 2026, Human Appeal has had over 24 million interventions in Gaza. This encompasses a humanitarian response that has had both wide geographical reach (operating across the north, middle, and south of the Gaza strip) and broad sectoral scope (spanning food security, health, WASH, education and shelter). Our Daily Gaza Updates
Total Reach by Year
2023: 264,016 units of aid
2024: 8,131,175 units of aid
2025: 14,858,241 units of aid
2026 (YTD): 792,893 units of aid
Total reach (2023–2026): 24,046,325 units of aid delivered
Human Appeal has spent over $70,700,153 USD directly on Gaza humanitarian operations from 2023–2026.
Food & Hot Meals
Over 10 million hot meals cooked and distributed (2023–2025)
127,851 food & vegetable parcels
7,825 bread bundles
4,861 flour bags
14,900 falafel wraps
Multiple Grand Iftar events, serving a total of 17,000 people
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)
102+ million liters of clean drinking water delivered via trucks and a desalination plant
31,456 liters via water tanks
10,700 hygiene kits distributed
2,151 tons of solid waste managed
280 tons of rubble cleared
Health
120,353 medical consultations via mobile and makeshift clinics
107,787 essential medical supply items delivered
Medical shipments delivered by helicopter
27 prosthetic limbs provided
Shelter
1,224 tents distributed
3 shelter camps established
Prefabricated homes installed
9 tent masjids built
3 damaged homes rehabilitated
Education
4 makeshift schools established
2,400 children supported in education
1,000 back-to-school kits distributed
28 classrooms furnished
1,872 winter jackets provided to students and teachers
Yes. According to UN humanitarian cluster reports:
Human Appeal was one of only eight kitchens still operating in Gaza City after evacuation orders (Food Cluster, Oct 2025)
Ranked #2 among organizations distributing clean drinking water in Gaza (WASH Cluster, Sept 2025)
Disclaimer on Aid Delivery
Human Appeal acknowledges the significant challenges in delivering aid to Gaza due to external factors, including ongoing border closures, security concerns, and restrictions imposed by occupying forces. Despite these obstacles, we are committed to responding swiftly and decisively. When opportunities arise—such as temporary openings of border crossings—we act immediately to send in excess supplies. In addition, we work closely with local partners and suppliers within Gaza to ensure that essential goods and services are sourced internally whenever possible. This dual strategy helps us maintain a steady flow of aid, support livelihoods, and reinforce resilience on the ground.
