By Catherine Pepinster
Faith and community organisations had to fill the vacuum left by the authorities after the Grenfell Tower disaster that killed 72 people, according to the damning report, published today.
The report, published seven years after the fire broke out in the North Kensington tower block, says that the “substantial involvement” played by the faith, community and voluntary organisations was “an important and striking response to the Grenfell Tower fire, and that they provided “sanctuary and support to those most seriously affected”.
Existing relationships and trusted networks of these faith groups were vital in the first days and later weeks after the fire.
It also highlights how the needs of Muslims were particularly ignored in the aftermath of the fire which occurred during the month of Ramadan when Muslims have special dietary needs due to the fasting requirements of their faith.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea – the council responsible for the tower – should have done more, the report says, to cater for those from diverse backgrounds, especially the many Muslims displaced by the fire. “Their experience”, says the report, “contributed to the widespread feeling among them that the council had no regard for their cultural and religious needs”.
But the report also singles out for special commendation, the work of local faith and community organisations which, it says, “portrays the best of humanity”.
The report, following the public inquiry chaired by Martin Moore-Bick, says that the Grenfell Tower fire which broke out on June 14 2017, was the result of dishonest firms involved in providing flammable cladding for the refurbished tower block of flats, successive governments and the fire service. All 72 deaths were avoidable, Sir Martin says.
In volume seven of the report, examining response and recovery, the basic difficulties of people gaining access to a centre allocated as a support base was highlighted, and they instead went to other voluntary venues.
Survivors of the fire were housed in hotels but some of them did not provide food and drink and so faith, community and voluntary sectors organisations stepped in to obtain, distribute and serve food to these hotel residents.
The report points out that the Grenfell residents came from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds but specific dietary requests, such as for halal food, were not made on the survivors’ behalf to hotels housing them.
Three survivors, Brahim el Amine, Mouna El-Ogbani, and Sawson Choucair, told the inquiry that where they were housed “did not serve food at times that respected their observation of Ramadan”. Another survivor of the fire, who needed a special diet following surgery, also had to rely on a mosque for food.
These experiences were typical of people from Grenfell, the report says, and many of those with special religious or cultural needs “suffered a significant degree of discrimination”. This could have been avoided if already published guidance on preparing for emergencies had been followed.
As part of the response to an emergency, a humanitarian assistance lead officer is appointed to co-ordinate humanitarian response, including the work of voluntary and faith sectors, but the inquiry found that the person appointed after Grenfell was “wholly unprepared for it”.
Kensington and Chelsea Council also had little understanding of local voluntary groups and there was a general failure to gather information from people on the ground.
Before the fire, the local authority had failed to involve local organisations in plans for dealing with emergencies, and it failed to engage with them or make use of them after the fire.
However, the inquiry heard evidence from many local organisations, including the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, the Latymer Community Church, St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, and the Notting Hill Methodist Church which told of the work done at the grassroots to help people affected by the fire.
“The evidence of witnesses from the local community painted a picture that portrays the very best of humanity”, says the report. “People from different backgrounds, faiths and communities came together in the face of grievous tragedy. They offered compassion, dignity and hope to the bereaved, survivors and the wider community. Their spontaneous response is a testament to the strength and resilience that characterises the North Kensington community. We pay special tribute to it”.
The longstanding relationships of the faith organisations and community bodies enabled them to be effective, the report points out, and “cater for the particular needs of those affected, and to do so in sensitive, informed and specific ways”.
Community organisations opened their doors to provide “shelter and sanctuary” as the fire took hold and blazed in the middle of the night, in a spontaneous response, without any specific request from the council or the police.
The local organisations struggled to cope with the large numbers of distressed people coming to them as well as donations and with little or no contact from the council. But they found ways to cope and respond to both practical and spiritual needs.
The inquiry report gave details of the way faith groups offered a listening ear as well as food and shelter and mentioned the Latymer Community Church which provided a Muslim prayer room set up in the church for those observing Ramadan – “a humanitarian response that was sensitive to faith and culture”, it said.
Responding to the report, the Muslim Council of Britain said: “The victims of Grenfell were abandoned by those in power. It was local heroes, especially the Al Manaar mosque, that provided sanctuary and support when public services and government failed to act.
“Many of the victims were Muslims, and today we learn of the mistreatment they faced from the council, even during the holy month of Ramadan, where little to no provision of halal food was made. This highlights yet another failure in supporting minority and faith communities.
The families and communities affected by Grenfell now need justice. The government and public authorities must act on these recommendations, and those responsible must be held accountable. We cannot allow this tragedy to be forgotten or let those who died be disregarded.”
