Ramadan around the world: Your charity in action

SubhanAllah, the blessed month of Ramadan has come and gone. And what a month it was!

With the world on lockdown, it was definitely different.

However, what didn’t change was your remarkable generosity towards helping men, women and children in need across the globe.

Alhamdulillah, once again your support enabled us to reach out to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. Your donations helped keep families safe from hunger, disease, conflict and Covid-19 throughout the holy month.

One of the many ways you helped was to provide around 156,000 food packs to over 936,500 people in over 30 countries worldwide.

These food packs helped families struggling against poverty, orphaned children, widows, the elderly, disabled, displaced and many more. They offered hope and security during increasingly uncertain times.

Take a look at some of the many communities you helped this Ramadan and see how your donations helped us to save lives.

1. Kenya: Keeping families hunger-free

With a staggering 3.4 million people struggling to survive without a stable source of food, hundreds of thousands of families across Kenya go hungry each and every day.

Alhamdulillah, this Ramadan you helped to deliver around 3,300 food packs to feed 19,800 people, ensuring that the holy month wasn’t one of hunger, but one of barakah. Thank you!

2. Afghanistan: Facing poverty head-on

Afghanistan is a nation that’s been blighted by conflict. However, did you know that in this war-torn nation, poverty kills more people than conflict?

With over a third of Afghans living on less than $2 a day, your help during Ramadan crucially enabled us to deliver around 3,300 food packs to help 19,600 people to face another day.

3. South Sudan: Protecting the vulnerable

Imagine a country where life expectancy is just 56 years old – as opposed to 81 here in the UK? Well, in South Sudan, conflict between communities, climate-induced drought, rising food prices and a collapse in public services, means life is particularly challenging.

Sadly, a third of children (aged 6 months – 5 years) have so little food, they are chronically malnourished. However, thankfully your Ramadan food packages helped to bridge this crucial gap for around 16,000 people.

4. Pakistan: Providing critical support

With a fragile economy and high levels of poverty in Pakistan, a staggering 1 in 5 people don’t get enough food to eat. For women and children in particular, high rates of illiteracy and lack of economic empowerment mean an even greater struggle for survival.

By donating to Islamic Relief this Ramadan, you helped thousands of women and children in need through the holy month, providing roughly 8,300 food packs to around 49,800 people.

5. Myanmar: Supporting stateless families

Rohingya communities in Myanmar have faced ongoing violence, marginalisation and poverty in recent years. As a result, a staggering 926,000 people have been left stateless across the country, without access to employment and critical resources.

By donating to Islamic Relief this Ramadan, you’ve been providing food packs to support around 80,300 people in crucial need. Jazak Allah khair.

6. Malawi: Making Ramadan special

In Malawi, 80% of the economy relies on local farming. However, climate-induced drought and flooding are devastating local communities. For families already living in poverty, the results can be deadly.

That’s why your support is so critical. Your donations this Ramadan helped provide a critical source of food. Alhamdulillah, you helped us to deliver around 2,900 food packs to help make Ramadan a period of cheer for 17,500 people.

7. Nepal: Lending a helping hand

Imagine what we could buy with 65 cents? We’re not sure there’s much! Certainly not three nutritious meals a day…

Yet in Nepal, a quarter of people live on less than this a day. With little money for food, families are going hungry. That’s why your support during Ramadan is so critical. Thanks to you, we were able to provide crucial food packs to around 10,700 people.

8. Sri Lanka: Making children healthy

Children in Sri Lanka are sadly not getting enough nutrients. A shocking 1 in 5 children under the age of 5 are underweight.

Without a good diet, children sadly can’t grow into healthy, strong adults. Thankfully, your Ramadan donations helped provide essential food packages to support around 14,900 local children and adults in need, providing essential nutrition.

9. Gaza: Offering hope

With over a quarter of the population in the Gaza Strip unemployed, many families are struggling financially. Without a stable income, feeding your children and loved ones is incredibly hard.

Alhamdulillah, your donations enabled us to distribute over 9,800 food vouchers to more than 56,700 people. This ensured that they could purchase the items they most need at local supermarkets to last the month of Ramadan, offering hope and stability during a time of great uncertainty.

10. Jordan: Recognising refugees in need

With a refugee population of over two million, primarily from Palestine, Syria and Iraq, Jordan is home to hundreds of thousands of families fleeing violence and conflict. Almost a quarter of refugees live in camps in poor conditions. Here they have little access to food or a means to earn a living.

Your support therefore ensured that around 20,000 people – including refugee families struggling to survive – could receive food packs and a crucial helping hand in their time of need.

11. Somalia: Saving lives

With almost 1 in 2 people across Somalia in need of humanitarian assistance, times are tough. Years of conflict and instability exacerbated by climate-induced drought mean that many families are finding it difficult to even get enough food to eat.

Your support this Ramadan offered a critical lifeline to local families unsure of where their next meal would come from. Thank you, your support meant the difference between eating and going hungry for around 50,100 people, alhamdulillah!

SubhanAllah, your donations during Ramadan enabled us to help hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in need and help make their month a lot brighter. Your support is invaluable.

From everyone at Islamic Relief, we’d like to say a massive thank you for your generous support. Without you, none of our work would be possible.

Jazak Allah khair.

You truly are life-savers.