Zakat for Refugees

"Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase."

[Al Tawba:103]

Dedicate your Zakat to refugees who are unable to reach the safety of home this Ramadan.

For the second year, refugees are living in an "emergency within an emergency", and more families need our help to face the challenges to come. Zakat funds allow us to cover the immediate needs of families living under the extreme poverty line.

If anyone is eligible for Zakat, it is those who have lost everything except their faith in a better tomorrow. It takes seconds to give your Zakat to those who need it the most today.

You can calculate your Zakat here and offer it to a refugee or displaced family who has fled from some of the world’s most devastating crises. 100% of your Zakat is guaranteed to reach refugees as lifesaving cash or in kind assistance.

Donate Online
Via Bank Transfer

Disclaimer: Transaction fee may be applied by a few credit card-issuing banks. For details, please contact your card-issuing bank.

Dedicate your Zakat

Step 1

Please use the following bank account details: Kindly note the different IBAN for each currency.

UNHCR Non-Interest Bearing Fundraising Accounts:

Beneficiary : UNHCR

Swiss Clearing Number : 240

BIC/Swift Code : UBSWCHZH80A

Beneficiary Bank : UBS AG, P.O. Box 2770, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland

Recipient Address : 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland

City : Geneva

Region/Province : Geneva

Postal Code : P.O. Box 2770

Phone Number : +41 22 879 16 11

Currency USD

IBAN : CH4800240240FP1003991

Currency EUR

IBAN : CH9100240240FP1003993

Currency GBP

IBAN : CH8000240240FP1003997

In the transfer description field, please use “Zakat MENA” followed by the destination country of your Zakat (Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Egypt and Mauritania)

Step 2

Please notify us at care@unhcr.org when the bank transfer is done. Please make sure to include your name, the amount of your donation, contact info and country of residence. This will help us track your donation and update the counter of the families supported.

Please include your contact details (Email and phone number) when proceeding with the transfer so we can confirm receiving your gift and communicate with you properly

UNHCR: a trusted agent to fulfil your Zakat obligations

UNHCR’s Zakat initiative is fully compliant and backed by five fatwas from leading scholars and institutions.

It is permissible to give Zakat to UNHCR for distribution to victims, refugees and displaced individuals in the region. In such a case, UNHCR is considered an agent. The entirety of the collected Zakat must be distributed to eligible recipients mentioned in Quran 9:60. None of it can be used to cover operations or wages; those must be covered by other sources.

Dedicate your Zakat

Fatwa

Dar al-Ifta al-Missriyyah

Dar al-Ifta al-Missriyyah is one of Egypt’s centers for Islamic legal research. It was established in 1895 CE and is…

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UNHCR: a trusted agent to fulfil your Zakat obligations

UNHCR’s Zakat initiative is fully compliant and backed by five fatwas from leading scholars and institutions.

It is permissible to give Zakat to UNHCR for distribution to victims, refugees and displaced individuals in the region. In such a case, UNHCR is considered an agent. The entirety of the collected Zakat must be distributed to eligible recipients mentioned in Quran 9:60. None of it can be used to cover operations or wages; those must be covered by other sources.

Why should I give my Zakat for refugees?

The majority of the world’s 22.5 million refugees fall under at least four of the eight stipulations required by recipients of Zakat funds.

These stipulations are:

Dedicate your Zakat

Al Fuqara’ wal Masakeen

The Poor and the Needy

Al Fuqara’ wal Masakeen

The Poor and the Needy

Most refugees are poor and in need of support to survive; they lack assets or income in their long stays…

Abna’ al Sabeel

The Stranded Travellers or Wayfarers

Abna’ al Sabeel

The Stranded Travellers or Wayfarers

A wayfarer is someone who is travelling on foot, which is the case for the vast majority of refugees, who…

al Gharemeen

The Debtors

al Gharemeen

The Debtors

Over 50% of refugee and displaced families are in debt. After losing their homes and possessions, and exhausting their savings,…

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Reports

Why should I give my Zakat for refugees?

The majority of the world’s 22.5 million refugees fall under at least four of the eight stipulations required by recipients of Zakat funds.

These stipulations are:

UNHCR is following a 100% Zakat policy.

UNHCR’s Zakat initiative is subject to rigorous governance, ensuring transparency at every step, from donation to provision of assistance. 100% of your Zakat obligation goes directly to eligible refugees.

Dedicate your Zakat

UNHCR is unique in its commitment to follow a 100% Zakat policy, and pledges that 100% of Zakat funds go directly to eligible refugees. Through its Zakat initiative, your support for refugees facing hardship is felt immediately by those most in need. Exceptionally for the Zakat initiative, UNHCR has waived its standard 7% overhead costs, and any other expenses associated with the distribution of Zakat funds are covered by other (non-Zakat) sources of funding.

UNHCR publishes quarterly reports about the received and distributed amounts of Zakat funds on this website.

UNHCR implements a wide range of humanitarian assistance programmes including provision of shelter, healthcare, education, and cash assistance; the latter has been identified as the best fit for Zakat funds. All Zakat funds received by UNHCR are strictly dedicated to compliant cash assistance programmes, which complements other aid provided by UNHCR.

Did you know

How your Zakat helps vulnerable refugee and displaced families

Vulnerable families are often headed by women alone who often face cultural, legal and childcare obstacles when looking for work. Providing refugee families with cash or in kind assistance prevents those most in need from having to resort to desperate survival strategies – such as pulling children out of school or child labour. Cash assistance in particular ensures that the immediate needs of families are met according to their own priorities. This also means that thousands of refugees who are restricted from working in host countries avoid facing severe hardships, while being empowered to manage their own finances. It helps to improve social networks through enabling refugees to repay loans borrowed from family, neighbours, and landlords, thereby reducing household tensions. Additionally, it benefits the local economy as refugees become customers at local shops and markets.

Did you know

How your Zakat helps vulnerable refugee and displaced families

Vulnerable families are often headed by women alone who often face cultural, legal and childcare obstacles when looking for work. Providing refugee families with cash or in kind assistance prevents those most in need from having to resort to desperate survival strategies – such as pulling children out of school or child labour. Cash assistance in particular ensures that the immediate needs of families are met according to their own priorities. This also means that thousands of refugees who are restricted from working in host countries avoid facing severe hardships, while being empowered to manage their own finances. It helps to improve social networks through enabling refugees to repay loans borrowed from family, neighbours, and landlords, thereby reducing household tensions. Additionally, it benefits the local economy as refugees become customers at local shops and markets.

UNHCR: Trusted Zakat Distributor

Refugee Families Need Your Zakat

Trusted Zakat Distributor

100% Zakat Distribution Policy

100% Zakat Distribution Policy

"Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase."

[Al Tawba:103]

Dedicate your Zakat to refugees who are unable to reach the safety of home this Ramadan.

Step 1

UNHCR Non-Interest Bearing Fundraising Accounts:

Step 2

UNHCR: a trusted agent to fulfil your Zakat obligations

UNHCR’s Zakat initiative is fully compliant and backed by five fatwas from leading scholars and institutions.

Fatwa

Dar al-Ifta al-Missriyyah

Fatwa

The Senior Scholars’ Council of Morocco

Fatwa

The Fatwa Council of Tareem

Fatwa

Dr Sheikh Ali Gomaa

Fatwa

Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayya

Fatwa

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy

Fatwa

Muslim World League

Fatwa

Tabah Foundation

Fatwa

International Shariah Research Academy (ISRA)

UNHCR: a trusted agent to fulfil your Zakat obligations

Why should I give my Zakat for refugees?

The majority of the world’s 22.5 million refugees fall under at least four of the eight stipulations required by recipients of Zakat funds.

Al Fuqara’ wal Masakeen

The Poor and the Needy

Abna’ al Sabeel

The Stranded Travellers or Wayfarers

al Gharemeen

The Debtors

Why should I give my Zakat for refugees?

The majority of the world’s 22.5 million refugees fall under at least four of the eight stipulations required by recipients of Zakat funds.

UNHCR is following a 100% Zakat policy.

UNHCR’s Zakat initiative is subject to rigorous governance, ensuring transparency at every step, from donation to provision of assistance. 100% of your Zakat obligation goes directly to eligible refugees.

Did you know

How your Zakat helps vulnerable refugee and displaced families

Did you know

How your Zakat helps vulnerable refugee and displaced families