A report released by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, revealed that nearly 2 million refugees and internally displaced people in 23 countries benefited from contributions received by the Refugee Zakat Fund in 2023, a year that witnessed a record number and emergencies and shortfalls in funding, making the contributions more crucial than ever.
The Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report’s findings were revealed during an event organized in partnership with Zakat House. The event discussed enhancing the role of Islamic social financing tools, such as Zakat and Sadaqah, in supporting humanitarian response efforts to forced displacement crises in the region and around the world. The event was attended by representatives of governmental entities, diplomats, and UNHCR’s philanthropy partners in Kuwait, and the private sector.
As nearly 50% of refugees come from or reside in member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, UNHCR collaborated with Islamic organizations to develop specific funding mechanisms that utilize the Islamic Financing tools -in accordance with Islamic Sharia- to support forcibly displaced populations from Islamic countries, including the Refugee Zakat Fund and the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees.
This approach, which continues to grow year after year, has had a significant impact despite representing a relatively small proportion of UNHCR’s budget. However, the contributions received by UNHCR through Islamic Philanthropy greatly assist in supporting some of the most underfunded displacement situations globally.
The event was opened by UNHCR’s Representative, Nisreen Rubaian and she said: “I express my sincere gratitude to the government and people of Kuwait. We value our partnership with governmental entities, the private sector, and charitable organizations that support UNHCR’s efforts to assist refugees and internally displaced people and provide them with dignified living conditions worldwide.” She added, “I thank the Zakat House for hosting the event and for supporting UNHCR’s humanitarian efforts in the region and beyond.”
Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner and UNHCR’s Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, welcomed the participants and said: “UNHCR played a pioneering role through launching Islamic Philanthropy programs and introducing the Refugee Zakat Fund as a tangible example of cooperation between Islamic organizations and UN agencies to respond to the humanitarian needs through Islamic financing tools such as Zakat, Sadaqah, and Sadaqah Jariyah.” He added: “Responding to the challenges is beyond the capacity of any entity and therefore requires us all to unify our efforts to help the most in need, ease the pressure off host countries, and enhance refugees self-reliance.”
On his part, Dr. Majid Al-Azmi, Director-General of the Zakat House and UNHCR’s Patron highlighted the importance of partnership between Kuwait Zakat House and UNHCR in alleviating the suffering of forcibly displaced people through Islamic Philanthropy and said: “Refugees and internally displaced people heavily rely on international assistance for their survival, as many lack necessities such as food, clean water, and healthcare. Through our partnership with UNHCR through Islamic Philanthropy, the Zakat House has supported over 70,000 refugee and displaced families in various countries.”
The State of Kuwait has had a prominent impact in supporting UNHCR’s humanitarian efforts through partnerships with various charitable organizations, noting that approximately 60% of Kuwait’s annual contributions to UNHCR come from the private sector and non-governmental organizations in the form of Zakat and Sadaqah donations, distributed to eligible refugees and internally displaced people. These contributions enhance UNHCR’s ability to respond, particularly due to the funding shortages mainly due to funding shortages that UNHCR faces amidst increasing humanitarian needs.
In recognition of the Kuwaiti support, UNHCR awarded the title of “Patron” to both Dr. Majid Al-Azmi, as the Director General of Kuwait Zakat House, and Jamal Al-Nouri, as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Society, in recognition of their pivotal role in enhancing the humanitarian partnership with UNHCR and mobilizing resources to assist refugees and internally displaced people.
It is worth noting the contribution of the Zakat House in supporting more than 350,000 refugees and internally displaced people from the most vulnerable groups through supporting UNHCR’s projects and programs in Bangladesh, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mauritania. Meanwhile, contributions from the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Society have assisted nearly 50,000 refugees and internally displaced people and supported UNHCR’s shelter and cash assistance programs in Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon.
UNHCR and Tanmeia Foundation launched the annual Ramadan appeal on March 4th of this year, calling on donors and individuals to provide relief to Rohingya refugees and assist them in the areas of shelter and clean water to meet their needs and alleviate their suffering, especially as they suffer from a scarcity of water access and require continuous aid aimed at repairing damaged shelters.
Overall, partnerships between UNHCR and Islamic charitable organizations in Kuwait have positively impacted the lives of 800,000 refugees and internally displaced people since 2019, reflecting mutual trust and shared responsibility toward assisting the most vulnerable forcibly displaced individuals around the world.
For the Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report, please click here.
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