Mid Year 2024

Alleviating suffering through Islamic Philanthropy

Mr. Adnan Abdul Hamid

CEO of Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF)
Singapore

Dear Reader,

It is with great honour that I present UNHCR’s Islamic Philanthropy Mid-Year Report 2024. This report underscores the vital role of Zakat, Sadaqah and other forms of Islamic philanthropy in transforming the lives of refugees and displaced communities worldwide. It reflects the unwavering dedication of the global citizens to extend their compassion and action to those in dire need.

On behalf of the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF), it is our honour to partner with UNHCR in highlighting the transformative power of Islamic philanthropy in addressing the global refugee crisis. As we witness unprecedented levels of displacement and humanitarian need, the importance of collective action and innovative solutions has never been more pressing. Islamic philanthropy, with its deep roots in compassion, justice, and solidarity, offers a vital source of support for refugees and vulnerable communities worldwide.

RLAF has long been a strong advocate of philanthropy, working in close partnership with UNHCR to deliver humanitarian aid where it is most needed. Since our collaboration began in 2017, we have been committed to responding promptly to crises, providing relief and hope to those who have been displaced by conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. Our mission is to restore dignity and opportunity to these individuals, empowering them through access to better health, education, and essential services.

This report showcases the remarkable impact of Islamic giving, from emergency relief to sustainable development, and underscores the potential for greater collaboration between humanitarian actors and Islamic philanthropic institutions. We commend UNHCR for their tireless efforts in protecting and serving refugees, and we are proud to stand alongside them in this critical work. Together, we can unlock the full potential of Islamic philanthropy to drive positive change and restore hope for those seeking safety and dignity.

At RLAF, we are dedicated to the transparent management of Sadaqah received from our generous donors in Singapore through our public collection campaigns. Our collections have made many touchpoints, including our mosques. As a Foundation approved by the Commissioner of Charities (COC) in Singapore, we collect donations with the utmost integrity and channel these funds through our credible partners to ensure they reach those who need them most. We also provide grants to institutions which provide ground-up initiatives (GUI) to assist those in need locally as well as regionally. Our commitment to transparency is reflected in our status as an Institute of Public Character (IPC), ensuring that all funds are managed responsibly and effectively.

As the challenges facing refugees continue to escalate, we invite Islamic institutions and individuals to join us in this crucial mission. Through Sadaqah and other forms of Islamic philanthropy, we can collectively make a significant impact in alleviating the suffering of those in need.

May this report inspire new partnerships, new initiatives, and a renewed commitment to supporting the world’s most vulnerable populations. May Allah reward all those who contribute generously to this noble cause, and may He guide us in our continued efforts to serve humanity.

Jazakumullahu Khairan Katsiran.

Adnan Abdul Hamid

CEO

Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF)

Singapore

Executive Summary

Empowering lives through Zakat and Sadaqah

UNHCR’s Islamic Philanthropy Mid-Year Report 2024 showcases the significant global impact of Zakat and Sadaqah contributions through its Refugee Zakat Fund in the first half of 2024.  

This year continues to witness a tragic record of more than 120 million forcibly displaced individuals. Islamic philanthropy emerges as essential in responding to these crises, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to meet urgent humanitarian and developmental needs of the displaced population worldwide. 

Partners

Islamic Philanthropy Across the Globe

Endorsements

The impact

Impact of the Refugee Zakat Fund

Zakat/ Sadaqah distribution countries in the first half of 2024

UNITING TO SAVE AND BETTER LIVES

Partnerships in Focus

UNHCR is proudly partnering with several organisations, all of which are committed to providing safety and access to opportunity for refugees around the world.

Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation

RLAF has been a strategic long-term partner for UNHCR in Singapore for many years and has strongly supported the displacement cause.

Islamic Relief USA

Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit humanitarian and advocacy organization that operates in over 40 countries across the world and in the United States and has a portfolio surpassing $240 million.

Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society

Founded on July 2, 1981, Sheikh Abdullah Al Nouri Charity Society has spent over four decades providing humanitarian aid to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Eid Charity

Eid Charity has been a core partner to UNHCR since 2018, with total contributions exceeding USD 6.5 million dedicated to refugees and internally displaced persons, benefiting more than 300,000 beneficiaries.

STORIES

Hear the experiences of refugees around the world

Mahmoud and Saqrah

Syrian elderly refugee couple in Lebanon.

Thy continue to hold onto their cherished traditions, especially during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Fatna

a Sudanese mother of ten displaced in Chad.

“We walk from the camp to a water source five kilometers away, and this is extremely difficult” Fatna explains.

Wafaa

a displaced mother from Yemen.

She has faced unimaginable challenges with her children since losing her husband.

Ayesha

a 45 year old displaced woman from Afghanistan.

“During Ramadan, we broke our fast with just a glass of tea. If we find potatoes, we eat them. Otherwise, it’s just bread” Ayesha says.

No Poverty

In line with SDG 1 to “reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty” by 2030, UNHCR is committed to ending poverty by advocating for refugees’ right to work in their host countries. When refugees are employed, they become self-reliant, providing for their families, building resilience, and restoring dignity. Zakat and Sadaqah funds play a critical role in helping vulnerable refugees meet urgent needs like food, water, and shelter. In countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Mauritania, and Egypt, these funds help prevent families from falling into extreme poverty and relying on harmful coping mechanisms.

The Refugee Zakat Fund has directly contributed to SDG 1 (No Poverty) by distributing over $250 million in Zakat and Sadaqah donations to assist over 8.6 million beneficiaries across 29 countries. Since its inception in 2017, the fund has supported refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) by mobilizing substantial financial resources, including significant contributions during UNHCR’s special Ramadan and Dhul Hijjah campaigns. This extensive support network, underpinned by a policy ensuring 100% distribution of collected Zakat, exemplifies a successful model of faith-based philanthropy addressing acute poverty in crisis-affected regions.

Zero Hunger

UNHCR has continually supported universal access to safe and nutritious food for the most vulnerable individuals and communities. Through Zakat funds, UNHCR distributes multi-purpose cash assistance to refugees and IDPs. This support helps those facing food insecurity and limited resources to meet their basic needs and survive during challenging times.

UNHCR’s Global Ramadan Campaign for example, initiated in 2014, aligns with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by mobilizing the spirit of giving during Ramadan in over 20 countries, to response to essential needs such as food and water, to refugees and displaced individuals. In 2024, the campaign delivered critical support to over 208,332 individuals in crisis zones including Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Lebanon, thereby directly addressing hunger and enhancing food security among the most vulnerable populations. This expansive effort underscores the campaign’s ongoing impact in alleviating hunger and fostering resilience among displaced communities worldwide.

Good Health and Well Being

UNHCR strives to facilitate access of refugees and host communities to national healthcare systems, a mission which connects to one of the SDG 3 targets: “achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all”. More acutely, Zakat and Sadaqah funds helped provide multi-purpose cash assistance and our monitoring shows that cash assistance is used in numerous ways, including essential treatments and medical care, doctor’s fees, and medication.

In Chad for example, as part of the Sudan Emergency response, UNHCR and partners are building six health centers, upgrading eight existing ones, recruiting 550 health workers, and supplying essential drugs to address primary healthcare, nutrition, mental health, and reproductive health needs. With a generous Sadaqah donation from Ramadan campaign, UNHCR will construct a healthcare clinic in one of the new camps, expected to serve 5,000 refugees monthly and meet the needs of 25,000 people, including local communities.

Quality Education

A fundamental target of SDG 4 is to “ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education”. Cash assistance provided by the Refugee Zakat Fund has proven effective in supporting access to education by helping refugee parents with direct costs such as school fees, uniforms, transportation, and addressing other financial barriers that keep children out of school. Zakat funds were also used to distribute material kits to 13,057 Sudanese refugee children in Ethiopia, in addition to supporting access to tertiary education through university fees, along with the provision of allowances for approximately 10 students.

Currently we are focused on supporting education projects in Chad, India ensuring access to quality education and fostering a better future for refugee children. Additionally, the technical vocational training initiate for Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan enhances employability and educational opportunities, contributing to both quality education and economic empowerment.

Gender Equality

Upon completing the vulnerability assessment framework to identify beneficiaries eligible for assistance, Zakat and Sadaqah funds in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Iraq, Mauritania, and Afghanistan are dedicated towards cash assistance to extremely vulnerable families – including many female-led households and their children. Cash assistance helps contribute to women protection by promoting self-reliance, assisting female entrepreneurs, and empowering women to exercise decision-making in the household.

Crucially, Zakat funds help ensure that vulnerable populations do not resort to negative coping mechanisms stemming from poverty. When women and girls have equitable access to and control over resources and can meaningfully participate in and influence decision making processes, they are rendered less vulnerable to sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, child marriage, and forced labour. Overall, equitable access to cash assistance helps facilitate a genuine and positive transformation in discriminatory gender attitudes.

Clean Water and Sanitation

UNHCR is committed to “achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all” by 2030, which is one of the targets for SDG 6. As such, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund has been contributing to this Goal through Sadaqah funds around the world.

The influx of Sudanese refugees and Chadian returnees has strained water and sanitation facilities in Chad’s eastern regions. UNHCR’s Sadaqah Jariah campaign seeks to build and maintain boreholes, supporting nearly 10,000 people with improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and fostering sustainable community development.

Additionally, UNHCR will optimize water networks to ensure access to 20 liters of clean water per person per day for 400,000 Rohingya refugees, maintaining handpumps and monitoring systems, and providing technical support for water supply and emergency response.

Decent Work and Economic Growth

One of the main pillars of UNHCR’s work worldwide is to provide refugees, IDPs, returnees, asylum seekers, and stateless people with equal access to decent and sustainable work regardless of their gender, race, economic or legal status. UNHCR has contributed Zakat funds towards providing sustainable and decent work for vulnerable communities by supporting income-generating activities.

In Pakistan, Afghan refugees are predominantly employed in unskilled day labor, constrained by limited financial resources, legal barriers, and lack of marketable skills, which hampers their access to decent work and sustainable livelihoods. Despite their informal economic participation, they face significant risks of exploitation and barriers to formal business registration, which negatively affects their overall well-being and ability to reintegrate into Afghanistan. In response, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund, plays a crucial role in these efforts. Zakat funds are utilized to support livelihood projects that empower refugees by providing vocational training, business development grants, and educational opportunities.

UNHCR has implemented a Livelihoods Strategy since 2018 to improve refugees’ productive capacities and social capital, aiming to foster self-reliance and enhance their ability to acquire skills relevant for future opportunities in Afghanistan. By leveraging Islamic philanthropic contributions, UNHCR can provide critical support to refugees, reducing their dependency on aid and offering pathways to dignified livelihoods.

Reduced Inequalities

Due to their legal status, refugees often do not have the right to formally work in their host countries, resulting in inequalities of outcome and opportunity. The legal status of refugees often prevents them from having equal access to shelter, healthcare, education, and other services. Zakat funds helped provide much needed assistance to vulnerable displaced families in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, among others, enabling them to meet their basic needs and access the essential services needed to rebuild their lives. This goes a long way towards achieving one of the key SDG 10 targets: “empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status” by 2030.

Through Sadaqah Jariah Programme, UNHCR ‘Jordan’s livelihoods support programs’ for example, contributes to reducing inequalities (SDG 10) by enhancing the self-reliance and economic empowerment of Syrian refugees and host communities. Through skills development, vocational training, and access to employment opportunities, these programs help bridge economic gaps and promote social inclusion. By supporting both refugees and vulnerable host communities, the programs foster a more equitable environment, enabling marginalized populations to improve their livelihoods and reduce disparities.

Climate Action

SDG 13 (Climate Action) focuses on urgent action to combat climate change by strengthening resilience, integrating climate measures into policies, and reducing vulnerability to climate-related hazards, particularly in vulnerable regions.

UNHCR, in partnership with local organizations, provides ongoing support to refugee households through its Islamic philanthropy initiatives, including Zakat contributions. These funds are crucial in repairing and rehabilitating damaged shelters, distributing materials that enhance resilience against harsh weather and fire, and providing targeted assistance based on regular camp monitoring, in addition to awareness campaigns and firefighting initiatives, with refugee volunteers mobilized to respond to emergencies and support affected families.

In Bangladesh, 3,300 households (110,400 individuals) are benefiting from shelter strengthening initiatives, through the rehabilitation of shelters using material that is resistant to the adverse effect of extreme weather events. This showcases the role of Zakat and Islamic philanthropy in advancing SDG 13 (Climate Action) aside from advancing SDG 1 (No Poverty), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). These efforts help build resilience and provide sustainable solutions for vulnerable refugee families, improving their living conditions and overall well-being.

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Zakat funds have helped provide vulnerable refugee families to reduce their reliance on negative coping mechanisms such as child labour, trafficking and child marriage. UNHCR also provides cash assistance to unaccompanied and separated children to enable them to survive and access the care and protection they need, which contributes to a crucial SDG 16 target: “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children”. Moreover, in line with another SDG 16 target – “significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere” – UNHCR child protection programmes help prevent sexual and gender-based violence among unaccompanied children by ensuring that they have access to essential social services, including psycho-social support.

Partnerships for the Goals

Among SDG17’s numerous targets are to, “encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships” – without such partnerships, our advocacy for the most vulnerable refugees and IDPs would not be feasible. Hence, UNHCR has partnerships with 28 diverse partners globally supporting UNHCR’s Islamic Philanthropy activities through the Refugee Zakat Fund. This includes charities, foundations, corporations, HNWIs, public entities, Zakat houses and halal entities from more than 10 countries.

Partnerships also play an important role in the delivery of Zakat and Sadaqah funds. For instance, in Egypt, refugees can collect their cash transfers from any of the 4,000 branches of the Egypt Post Office countrywide. In Jordan, through a partnership with Cairo-Amman Bank, ATMs are equipped with iris scan technology. Refugees eligible for cash assistance can simply walk to one of the selected ATMs and withdraw money immediately. The iris scan connects to records from UNHCR’s database and verifies the identity of the person. This eliminates the possibility of fraud and provides instant and cost-effective support directly to vulnerable families.

About us

UNHCR's Refugee Zakat Fund

Since its pilot in 2017, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund has been a crucial partnership mechanism that is effective, compliant, and trusted by institutions and individuals. Since its inception, over 8.6 million beneficiaries have been assisted. This is thanks to more than $250 million that has been received through the Refugee Zakat Fund, of which over 70% has been Zakat.

UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund is subject to rigorous governance and oversight, ensuring transparency at every step in the provision of assistance.

Initiatives

Key highlights

Campaigns

UNHCR’s 2024 Global Ramadan Campaign raised critical funds to assist over 208,000 refugees, while its Dhul Hijjah & Adha Campaign supported 2,713 displaced families, and the Sadaqah Jariah Campaign improved water and sanitation access for nearly 10,000 beneficiaries in Chad.

Events and Missions

In March 2024, UNHCR released its 6th Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report, followed by an April delegation visit to Chad by UNHCR’s MENA partners and donors.

Engagement Activities

The Power of UNHCR’s Committed High-Profile Supporters in Islamic Philanthropy

UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund App

One of the key initiatives that enables Zakat-compliant donations to reach the most vulnerable refugee families.

Islamic Philanthropy Mid-Year Report 2024