UNHCR adds Rohingya refugees to Refugee Zakat Fund beneficiaries

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 27, 2019 – The Refugee Zakat Fund launched by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) just before Ramadan is now extending its support to cover displaced Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, making beneficiaries in the South Asian country the first outside of the MENA region to receive Zakat assistance. This endeavor further amplifies UNHCR’s message that the Muslim world has the potential to take Islamic philanthropy to the next level through the targeted use of obligatory alms to help some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are fully eligible to receive Zakat, being a displaced Muslim community living in poor conditions, and in dire need of assistance, and considered as stranded travelers waiting to go back to their homeland.

“Since the Fund’s launch in April 2019, we’ve received US$ 1 million from Zakat donors around the world, and are anticipating a surge during the blessed last ten days of Ramadan.” said Houssam Chahine, UNHCR’s Head of Private Sector Partnerships in the MENA region. “We are proud to announce the extension of the Refugee Zakat Fund to the neediest refugee families in Bangladesh, who have risked their lives to reach safety, and are still in need for humanitarian support and long-term care to survive. Zakat assistance can help up to 120,000 households in need of basic amenities, including members of the local host community,” he added.