The UNHCR’s annual report 2020 Islamic Philanthropy Report revealed that the Refugee Zakat Fund had received a total of more than $43 million in contributions during the past year, including an individual contribution that is the largest ever made by the Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al Thani Humanitarian Fund with a value of more than $35 million.
“Thanks to the generous contribution of the Thani bin Abdullah bin Thani Al Thani Humanitarian Fund to the Zakat Fund for Refugees, support had been provided to 164,969 vulnerable families (875,000 people) that include women, men, children, and families sponsored by women and the elderly,” the report added.
The donation has provided much-needed cash assistance to fulfill immediate needs, such as rental subsidies, debt repayments, health and nutritional services, as well as the provision of food in Yemen.
In Bangladesh, shelter materials were provided, along with hygiene packages, household kits, and integrated primary and secondary health services through camp health facilities for Rohingya refugees.
In a statement on this occasion, Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah bin Thani Al Thani, founder of the Thani bin Abdullah bin Thani Al Thani Humanitarian Fund, said:
“There is no doubt that the displaced communities are the most vulnerable and require deliberate and intensive attention from benefactors who want to make a positive impact in the world.”
He added that “the Islamic world has a historic opportunity to stress the importance of the role played by Islamic social financing and Zakat in particular, in terms of humanitarian assistance by supporting the displaced in the world, while achieving the main sustainable development goals.”
For his part, Khalid Khalifa, UNHCR representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and adviser to the High Commissioner for Islamic Finance, said:
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all individuals, associations and Islamic financial institutions. Thanks to their support, we were able to reach more than a million people in need, who had trusted the UNHCR for their zakat.”
He noted that “today amid the coronavirus crisis, more refugees will be in need of humanitarian assistance, and Zakat and Islamic charitable work can make a huge impact in responding to these needs.”
He pointed out that the other donations received by the Refugee Zakat Fund came from individuals, partner institutions and philanthropists from the Middle East and North Africa region, and these contributions contributed in providing life-saving assistance to more than 191,497 families in need (1,025,014 people).
On March 25, the UNHCR launched an urgent appeal for $255 million to reduce risks and minimize the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in vulnerable communities. Vital financing will urgently support UNHCR’s preparedness and response plan in areas of forced displacement over the next nine months.
The Refugee Zakat Fund was launched by UNHCR in 2019, as a trusted, compliant and effective distributor harnessing the power of Zakat to transform the lives of the most vulnerable refugee and IDPs, through partnerships and collaboration with Zakat institutions, foundations and philanthropists.
The fund is backed by five fatwas and is subject to strict governance, ensuring utmost transparency at every step — from donation to provision of assistance. Since its first year of inception in 2019, the fund has assisted more than one million vulnerable beneficiaries worldwide.
Source The Peninsula