As Muslims around the world started to observe the holy month of Ramadan last week, philanthropic activities among Muslims are on the rise. One of the biggest beneficiaries of donations around the world is the UNHCR.
The United Nations said that its refugee operations are witnessing a growth in funding through a dedicated Islamic philanthropy platform.
Since it was first piloted in 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Refugee Zakat Fund has raised nearly €185M ($200M) to help people in 26 countries. The organization invokes the Islamic practice of Zakat, which one of the five pillars of the religion.
Zakat requires Muslims to donate a fraction of their wealth each year to poor communities. Zakat contributions usually witness a rise during Ramadan - in addition to Sadaqah donations, which are of a voluntary nature.
In recent years, donations by Muslims have frequently gone to support refugees and migrants around the globe.
UNHCR main beneficiary
The United Nations' refugee agency said that one day after the start of Ramadan it was already seeing a spike.
"During the last five years, we managed to assist six million people, mainly in Muslim countries, with the Zakat and the Sadaqah," said Khaled Khalifa, the UNHCR representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
He added that the UNHCR platform had allowed it to become the main beneficiary of such funds within the UN system and perhaps in the global humanitarian sector.
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Beyond Islamic aid
The main recipient this year have been Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as well as internally displaced people in Yemen, and Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Khalifa stressed that "we do not help Muslims alone, and we do not divide the beneficiaries by religion.”
"Last year, we raised more than €18.4M ($20 million) in Ramadan alone," Khalifa said. "We are hoping to exceed that this year."
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with AFP