UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is launching its Ramadan campaign to mobilise much-needed financial support to address the growing needs of people forcibly displaced worldwide. This is in response to the increasing number and intensity of humanitarian emergencies, according to a UNHCR press release issued today. Last year, over 100 million people had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, violence, persecution and human rights abuses. Many have been struggling to survive for years as many crises remain unresolved. The devastating earthquakes which recently hit Turkiye and Syria have added another layer of trauma and burden for millions of vulnerable Syrians as they try to protect and provide for their families. In Turkiye, the earthquakes impacted a region of 15 million people including among them many refugees from Syria. In Syria, 8.8 million people live in affected areas, including families that were already displaced from their homes by the country’s long-running crisis, and already dealing with pre-existing large-scale humanitarian needs. UNHCR is appealing for US$201.3 million to respond to the urgent needs of families impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye. In Bangladesh, the decrease in funding adds to the challenges Rohingya refugees face in terms of nutrition, shelter, sanitation, and livelihoods. With the dire situation entering its sixth year, efforts need to be redoubled to provide sustained financial support and solutions to the 978,000 Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi host communities. There is an urgent need for continued robust support for a response that is only funded in 10 percent. “UNHCR is urgently calling for support to address the growing humanitarian needs of displaced people observing Ramadan facing increasing challenges across the world,” said Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner and UNHCR’s Representative to Gulf Cooperation Council countries. “We are working tirelessly to ensure that those affected by war and displacement are provided with immediate and long-term relief.” Since its inception in 2017, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund has impacted the lives of more than six million beneficiaries in 26 countries, with Zakat and Sadaqah contributions.
Source: Emirates News Agency