Zakat and Sadaqah partners benefited 1.6 million vulnerable refugees and displaced people in 2022: UNHCR

Today in Jakarta, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is holding a special event to mark the launch of its Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report 2023. In attendance at this event are representatives from significant Islamic groups based in the Asia-Pacific area.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is using this event to raise awareness about the significance of Islamic charity partners in positively affecting the lives of vulnerable refugees and displaced individuals in Asia and throughout the world.

By the distribution of Zakat and Sadaqah donations that were received in 2022 from generous Islamic partners, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has helped 1,595,778 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in over 20 countries throughout the world.

At the launch event, remarks were given by the UNHCR representative in Indonesia. Since 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Indonesia has collaborated with more than a dozen distinct Islamic organizations. Because of your support, we have been able to make a difference in the lives of displaced people not just in Indonesia but also all over the world. "On behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), I would want to express my gratitude to you for your support of the refugee cause and the contribution you have made," said Ann Maymann, who is based in Indonesia. "She went on to say, "I have a firm belief in the capability of the Muslim community in Asia and the Pacific to come together to assist those who are in need and to propel change."

The event, which highlighted the impact of Islamic social finance on vulnerable refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in Asia and around the world, was attended by representatives from Islamic foundations as well as other prominent organizations from the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

"Unfortunately, the trend toward rising displacement shows little sign of slowing down," said Khaled Khalifa, Senior Adviser and Representative to the Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We passed the tragic milestone of 100 million people who had been forcibly displaced around the world in 2022, with more than fifty percent of those people hailing from nations with Muslim majorities "There is a growing consensus among members of the global community that Islamic philanthropy can provide helpful responses to humanitarian crises.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) established the Refugee Zakat Fund as a credible, zakat-compliant, and successful collaboration mechanism with the goal of capitalizing on the power of zakat and sadaqah to support beneficiary refugees and internally displaced communities. Since the start of the Refugee Zakat Fund's pilot program in 2017, partners' contributions of Zakat and Sadaqah have made it possible for the UNHCR to serve nearly 6 million refugees and internally displaced people in 26 countries. In addition, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is receiving funding in the form of Zakat and Sadaqah, which are helping to the achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include, but are not limited to, the elimination of all forms of poverty (SDG 1), the eradication of all forms of hunger (SDG 2), the promotion of good health and well-being (SDG 3), the provision of quality education (SDG 4), the achievement of gender equality (SDG 5), and the provision of clean water and sanitation (SDG 6). (SDG 6).

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) projected that there would be 117.3 million refugees, people who had been internally displaced, and other people falling under the mandate of the UNHCR in the year 2023. This put the global needs of the UNHCR at a total of $10.2 billion. This includes more than $2.7 billion that is required in countries where the UNHCR distributes Zakat and Sadaqah in order to assist more than 17 million refugees and people who have been displaced within their own countries with a variety of interventions, such as much-needed cash assistance and essential goods.