If you meet Shakiba, you’ll notice that she talks a little bit too quickly. You might not understand some of what she is saying, but her story, her heartbreak and resilience should be heard. That’s what we are here to tell you about. Do you know that thousands of elderly refugees, like Shakiba and her husband, live in areas that reach sub-zero temperatures in winter? “When the bombing and violence started, some 15 people from my family died. We were …
Category: Beneficiaries
Philanthropy has evolved over the past century and driven some of the most profound social impact success stories. At UNHCR, we develop partnerships with aspirations of achieving audacious results and successes. Our Refugee Zakat Fund is an innovative initiative that hopes to bring a catalytic and systemic change in the way we approach and perceive ‘giving’ in general, as well as, the way we look at support for refugees – dignified support. Of course, we cannot aspire alone. It takes …
Last Ramadan, UNHCR field staff in Lebanon and Jordan asked Syrian refugee families about how they are spending Ramadan – and we discovered something beautiful. Despite living in severe need, refugee families are praying for others every single day during Ramadan and beyond. Please watch this heartwarming video that we made out of the prayers that were caught on camera… “I pray for all mankind, may god enrich our hearts with kindness towards each other, and put mercy in the …
First and foremost, UNHCR’s global Ramadan campaign is the organization’s commitment to honor and celebrate the values of more than 60% of its persons of concern, who are, yet another year, observing the holy month away from home. In fact, Ramadan this year is like no other: refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living an emergency within an emergency and are one of the most vulnerable populations in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Our responsibility towards the …
In the context of refugee crises, over 50% of refugee and internally displaced families are in debt. After losing their homes and possessions, and exhausting their savings, many are forced to incur debt to survive and pay for shelter, food, medication and education for their children. In addition, the time that many refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) spend away from their homes usually spans over years. Take the example of today’s biggest refugee crisis: Syria. The crisis has been …
The word “ghareem” comes from the word “ghurm”, which means debt. The gharem is a person in debt, which is clearly stated in the Quran as an eligible category to receive Zakat. Therefore if a person has a debt, and cannot pay it back, he/ she can receive the amount needed to pay back the debt. All scholars agree that the person that has the means to repay his debt is not eligible to receive Zakat. If the person can …
The Quran [9:60] makes it clear that the “fuqaraa” (the poor) and “masakeen” (the needy) are eligible to receive Zakat. Therefore there is no difference of opinions between Islamic scholars on the legitimacy of these two categories to receive Zakat. However scholars have differed on the meaning of “fuqara” and “masakeen”. What these terms mean precisely? Which one of the two is the most in need? And what is the difference between both? We have received these questions from a …
The word “ghareem” comes from the word “ghurm”, which means debt. The gharem is a person in debt, which is clearly stated in the Quran as an eligible category to receive Zakat. Therefore if a person has a debt, and cannot pay it back, he/ she can receive the amount needed to pay back the debt. All scholars agree that the person that has the means to repay his debt is not eligible to receive Zakat. If the person can …
The Quran [9:60] makes it clear that the “fuqaraa” (the poor) and “masakeen” (the needy) are eligible to receive Zakat. Therefore there is no difference of opinions between Islamic scholars on the legitimacy of these two categories to receive Zakat. However scholars have differed on the meaning of “fuqara” and “masakeen”. What these terms mean precisely? Which one of the two is the most in need? And what is the difference between both? We have received these questions from a …
The last category mentioned in the Quran on Zakat is “ibn sabeel” or wayfarer (“abna’ sabeel” being the plural form). Ibn sabeel refers to a traveler that does not have enough money during his journey. This person is eligible to receive Zakat in order to finish his journey, even if the person is rich in his or her country. If he or she cannot access the money during this journey, then Zakat can be given to him or her. So …
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