Hundreds of Muslims offered food and and water to people caught up in storm Harvey (Picture: Twitter/ MuslimYouthUSA)

As Storm Harvey hit Texas with 130mph winds and devastating floods, leaving eight dead, a group of young Muslims took to the streets to help their fellow neighbours.

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Rather taking cover from the monstrous winds, at least 100 youngsters from Muslim Youth USA handed out food and water in Houston.

Other members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association also joined the effort, offering supplies and shelter to people caught up in the storm.

Madeel Abdullah, director of humanitarian affairs for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) said more than 700 AMYA members had been affected by the storm but that they still helped anyone they saw in distress.


Rather taking cover from the monstrous winds, at least 100 youngsters from Muslim Youth USA handed out food and water in Houston. (Picture: Twitter/ MuslimYouthUSA)

He told The Independent: ‘We’ve already provided basic supplies such as food items and water bottles and we have a few members who have boats who are going around making sure everyone is safe.’



He added that both groups started sending volunteers into Houston neighbourhoods on Sunday, just two days after the storm first hit.

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Both youth groups started sending volunteers into Houston neighbourhoods on Sunday, just two days after the storm first hit.(Picture: EPA)

Floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey overflow Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Texas yesterday (Picture: AP Photo/LM Otero)

The groups were helped by charity Humanity First (Picture: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The groups, which were helped by Humanity First, an Ahmadiyya Muslim charity set up 25 years in the UK to help with disaster relief, identify as Ahmadiyya Muslim and follow the teachings of Caliph Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

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Qasim Rashid, a spokesman for the Ahmadiyya community, told the paper that the teachings of the Caliph tell Muslims: ‘Whenever your fellow Americans are in need, you need to be the first ones on the ground to help them.’

He added that despite anti-Muslim hate crimes rising in the US, that has only encouraged them to continue their work and ’emboldened our youth to work even harder to exemplify what Islam means.’

At least eight people have died in the storm, which first hit the Texan coast on Friday, leading to mass flooding across the city.

Authorities are urging residents to stay off the streets of Houston and other southeast Texas cities as rain falling at up to 5in per hour flooded roads and major intersections.

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