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-With the UAE among its leading donors, UNHCR says faith-based giving from the region is playing a critical role in sustaining medical care, shelter and protection for refugees worldwide
As global funding cuts force the suspension of critical medical care, education, child protection and shelter programmes for refugees in countries such as Egypt, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Bangladesh, UNHCR is seeking Zakat and Sadaqah contributions to deliver lifesaving assistance. Ahead of a new Ramadan campaign urging donations to counter “tightening humanitarian budgets and major funding pressures”, the agency has launched its 8th Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report, highlighting how Zakat and Sadaqah are increasingly serving as a humanitarian lifeline.
Almost 60 per cent of all Zakat and Sadaqah received in 2025 came from MENA-based donors, with the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among the top contributors.
Among notable partners featured in the report, Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives supported assistance for around 70,000 forcibly displaced people across Bangladesh, Botswana, India, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tunisia through country-wide fundraising campaigns.
Looking back at 2025, the report shows that the Refugee Zakat Fund raised more than $23 million in Zakat contributions — surpassing the previous year — assisting over 579,000 refugees and internally displaced people across 17 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Somalia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Syria and Yemen. Sadaqah contributions reached nearly $16 million, supporting more than 453,000 people in 18 countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Pakistan.
In total, through strategic partnerships, the Refugee Zakat Fund and UNHCR campaigns, $39 million was raised in 2025, enabling the agency to reach more than 1 million people across 25 countries. The effort was backed by 45 major donors and Islamic institutions, alongside tens of thousands of online supporters who entrusted UNHCR with their Islamic charitable giving.
Dr Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees for Islamic Philanthropy and Regional Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at UNHCR, said the impact of funding reductions is already being felt on the ground.
“Amidst a year of unprecedented budget cuts, the humanitarian lifeline has been left fraying with millions of displaced families hanging on by a thread. These cuts are not abstract figures – they are felt in the lives of real people who, after being forced to flee their homes, are being pushed to the edge of survival every day.
“This year’s report shows how Islamic philanthropy, rooted in faith and compassion, is helping UNHCR to positively impact people’s lives with practical and long-term support. In times of crisis, Zakat and Sadaqah offer a powerful force for change that is essential to help refugees and internally displaced families stay afloat and rebuild their lives with dignity.”
The report also highlights an expansion in geographic reach, with Islamic philanthropy funding extending to four new countries in 2025 — Brazil, Colombia, the Central African Republic and Botswana. Sadaqah Jariyah activities expanded to Bangladesh, where 280,000 people benefited from improved access to clean water for communities, agriculture and livestock.
Since its inception in 2017, the Refugee Zakat Fund has raised more than $300 million from over 70,000 donors, supporting nearly 10 million beneficiaries across 36 countries. Endorsed by 18 fatwas, the Fund is positioned as a legitimate mechanism for mobilising Islamic charitable resources.
-With the UAE among its leading donors, UNHCR says faith-based giving from the region is playing a critical role in sustaining medical care, shelter and protection for refugees worldwide
As global funding cuts force the suspension of critical medical care, education, child protection and shelter programmes for refugees in countries such as Egypt, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Bangladesh, UNHCR is seeking Zakat and Sadaqah contributions to deliver lifesaving assistance. Ahead of a new Ramadan campaign urging donations to counter “tightening humanitarian budgets and major funding pressures”, the agency has launched its 8th Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report, highlighting how Zakat and Sadaqah are increasingly serving as a humanitarian lifeline.
Almost 60 per cent of all Zakat and Sadaqah received in 2025 came from MENA-based donors, with the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among the top contributors.
Among notable partners featured in the report, Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives supported assistance for around 70,000 forcibly displaced people across Bangladesh, Botswana, India, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tunisia through country-wide fundraising campaigns.
Looking back at 2025, the report shows that the Refugee Zakat Fund raised more than $23 million in Zakat contributions — surpassing the previous year — assisting over 579,000 refugees and internally displaced people across 17 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Somalia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Syria and Yemen. Sadaqah contributions reached nearly $16 million, supporting more than 453,000 people in 18 countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Libya and Pakistan.
In total, through strategic partnerships, the Refugee Zakat Fund and UNHCR campaigns, $39 million was raised in 2025, enabling the agency to reach more than 1 million people across 25 countries. The effort was backed by 45 major donors and Islamic institutions, alongside tens of thousands of online supporters who entrusted UNHCR with their Islamic charitable giving.
Dr Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees for Islamic Philanthropy and Regional Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at UNHCR, said the impact of funding reductions is already being felt on the ground.
“Amidst a year of unprecedented budget cuts, the humanitarian lifeline has been left fraying with millions of displaced families hanging on by a thread. These cuts are not abstract figures – they are felt in the lives of real people who, after being forced to flee their homes, are being pushed to the edge of survival every day.
“This year’s report shows how Islamic philanthropy, rooted in faith and compassion, is helping UNHCR to positively impact people’s lives with practical and long-term support. In times of crisis, Zakat and Sadaqah offer a powerful force for change that is essential to help refugees and internally displaced families stay afloat and rebuild their lives with dignity.”
The report also highlights an expansion in geographic reach, with Islamic philanthropy funding extending to four new countries in 2025 — Brazil, Colombia, the Central African Republic and Botswana. Sadaqah Jariyah activities expanded to Bangladesh, where 280,000 people benefited from improved access to clean water for communities, agriculture and livestock.
Since its inception in 2017, the Refugee Zakat Fund has raised more than $300 million from over 70,000 donors, supporting nearly 10 million beneficiaries across 36 countries. Endorsed by 18 fatwas, the Fund is positioned as a legitimate mechanism for mobilising Islamic charitable resources.
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