'Islamic giving plays increasing role in helping the forcibly displaced': UNHCR

World

Published: 2023-03-28 13:42

Last Updated: 2024-03-27 20:30


'Islamic giving plays increasing role in helping the forcibly displaced': UNHCR
'Islamic giving plays increasing role in helping the forcibly displaced': UNHCR

Islamic giving is essential for helping those who were forcibly replaced around the world, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

At the start of the holy month of Ramadan, the UNHCR released its fifth Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report that showed the power and growing potential of Islamic giving in terms of saving lives and building better futures for the forcibly displaced.

The report shows that since UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund was piloted in 2017, six million forcibly displaced people in 26 different countries benefitted from Zakat (obligatory almsgiving) and Sadaqah (voluntary charity) funds.

Through the Refugee Zakat Fund, the UNHCR received more than USD 21.3 million in Zakat contributions in 2022 and more than USD 16.7 million in Sadaqah donations.

While this is a small proportion of UNHCR’s global expenditure, its importance and impact on the displaced is growing.

It is also contributing to progress in several Sustainable Development Goals, the most important of which being ending poverty and hunger, while improving education and well-being.

In 2022, the Refugee Zakat Fund enabled the UNHCR to improve the lives of more than 1.5 million people in 21 countries, with Zakat and Sadaqah funds.

Zakat contributions also enabled the UNHCR to assist more than 756,000 refugees and internally displaced people in 17 countries.

Sadaqah donations enabled the UNHCR to assist more than 839,000 people in 15 countries.

Since 2017, UNHCR’s main recipient operations have been Bangladesh, Yemen, and Lebanon.

Zakat contributions were distributed in the form of cash assistance and direct provision of goods in 2022.

Cash assistance was provided to refugees in Algeria, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Pakistan, and Tunisia, as well as to those who were internally displaced in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Yemen.

Goods, such as hygiene and shelter kits, medicines, and livelihood kits were provided to refugees in Bangladesh, India, and Iran, and for internally displaced people in Nigeria.