How to extend your Ramadan table to refugees in need

During these blessed days of Ramadan, our hearts are called to perform acts of compassion and community towards those in need. We remember refugees whose lives, disrupted by conflicts and natural disasters, are marked by loss and uncertainty. And while our homes and tables overflow with joy and togetherness, for refugees, there is often no such place. This year, we send a heartfelt call to extend your Ramadan table to vulnerable refugee and displaced families.   Take a look at the

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6 things you should know about UNHCR’s Zakat fund

Let us shed some light on UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund and explore 6 key facts that highlight its strong governance and important role in delivering lifesaving assistance to eligible families worldwide.   1- Zakat Eligibility You’ll be dedicating your Zakat to vulnerable refugees and IDPs who fall under at least four of the eight categories of eligible recipients mentioned in the Holy Quran: the poor, the needy, the debtors, and the wayfarers. 2- Endorsed by 17 Fatwas! The Fund is

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“People were starving. We had no choice but to flee for our lives.”

“My wife died of hunger here… I became helpless” Issack also lost four of his children to the 2011 famine. He then moved the rest of his family to Mogadishu to try and save them. “All my livestock and crops were wiped out. […] People were weak… they were starving. We had no choice but to flee for our lives.”  In the longest drought Somalia has seen in 40 years, all families like Issack’s can do, is pray for rain

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The Story of Turfah: “We were forced to sleep hungry”

As the holy month approaches a close, we are reminded how important these last blessed days are. With nine days left, your good deeds will transform into blessings for you, and for those most in need. Help refugees during the last blessed days 90-year-old Turfah is a Syrian refugee in Lebanon. As the sole caretaker of her two disabled daughters, the hardships she faces as she tries to look after her family, are unimaginable. “We were forced to go to

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“We cannot afford to eat anything”

As we enter into these blessed last 10 days of Ramadan, our thoughts go out to the millions of refugees and internally displaced people struggling to afford an Iftar meal. Many stories from the Rohingya camps highlight the immense difficulties faced by mothers and fathers in these situations. A Rohingya father of six, Liaqat reminisces about Ramadan back home in Myanmar, which he fondly calls ‘a piece of heaven’. He is struggling to provide his children with the food and

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Afrah, a Yemeni mother: “the last time we ate meat was last Eid”

The month of Ramadan in Yemen is difficult to imagine. The situation there has been deemed the worst humanitarian crisis globally, where hunger is a daily challenge for millions. As the sole provider for her family, Afrah a displaced Yemeni mother, shares her struggles during the holy month of Ramadan. “If my children want juice or biscuits, I try to get it for them with the little I have. I can’t buy these things often… I try to teach them

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For Fajr, the Winter Cold Isn’t the Only Tragedy She’s Dealing With

Out of the many prayers that Fajr recites daily, there is one in particular that she repeats often: “I pray God extends my life until he gets old enough”. The person she is referring to is her son, Noor, whose birth granted her the nickname of “Um Noor”. Having lost her husband over six years ago, she has been the sole provider for her only son as they settled in Jordan following the Syria crisis, explaining that “Noor is my

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After Tragedy and Displacement, Hoda’s Smile Continues to Inspire

As the New Year fast approaches and temperatures plummet, millions in the MENA region are seeking comfort in the safety of their homes – equipped with seasonal snacks, running water, and heating systems. These are all privileges that can easily be taken for granted, but for Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, the reality of winter is far more daunting. Known for its intense summer heat waves, Bekaa’s winters are just as harsh in the opposite direction. Transitioning to

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Lebanon’s Economic Crisis is Taking its Toll on Fatima and Her Children

More than a decade after the Syrian crisis broke out, Syrian refugees in Lebanon are facing as much precarity as ever. Per a survey conducted jointly by UNHCR, WFP, and UNICEF, it is estimated that 90% of Syrian refugee households live in extreme poverty and are on less than half the Lebanese minimum wage. The dearth of employment opportunities stems in large part from the host country’s severe socio-economic and financial downturn due to the fuel crisis, the Beirut port

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