The month of Ramadan always brings good times for millions around the world, as families and loved ones gather, charity and solidarity with those in need grow, and everyone, old and young, awaits Eid. This was the case for Aisha since her childhood and after her marriage. However, about two years ago, Eid brought her and her children news that changed their lives. 

This displaced Yemeni mother tells us her story and shares her sorrows with us. She remembers that day: “He was shot in the morning of the first day of Eid. We were waiting for him. We were all grieving, Eid turned into misery.” 

Aisha and her family were forced to flee their homes in Hodeida four years ago due to escalating conflict, and after the death of her husband, she became the sole breadwinner for her three children. Her family is one of thousands of vulnerable displaced families who are at risk of hunger, and dependent on UNHCR’s support for their survival. Cash assistance is an integral form of support provided by UNHCR, through which thousands of donors have been dedicating their Zakat to help displaced families in Yemen.  

About her situation now during the month of Ramadan, Aisha says, “We lack food and the essentials of Ramadan. We make a meal if thanks to God, we have the ability to. If we can’t, we eat dates and coffee, and thank God.” 

More than 7 years after the outbreak of war in Yemen, millions of lives were torn apart, hundreds of thousands of families were displaced, and more than 66% of the population became dependent on humanitarian assistance. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years has exacerbated the suffering of many families, as economic decline has quickly pushed them to the brink of starvation, especially displaced families such as Aisha’s, who have become four times more vulnerable to hunger than the rest of the population. 

“Before, we could have iftar and support the family with 1,000 or 2,000 Yemeni Riyals. Yet now, even 10,000 Riyals is not enough.” With these words, Aisha relayed to us the difficult living conditions of Yemenis who are suffering from food insecurity, often having to reduce their meals. 

When you are preparing to donate your Zakat during Ramadan, please remember Aisha and her family, among many other displaced families in Yemen. Your Zakat donation will provide them with much needed cash assistance that will allow them to buy food and other basic needs. 

During the remainder of the blessed month, you can allocate your Zakat through the Refugee Zakat Fund mobile application to help displaced families in Yemen. 100% of your Zakat reaches its beneficiaries without deduction of any administrative or operational expenses, which are covered by UNHCR from funds other than Zakat. 

Zakat and Sadaqah donations received by UNHCR through the Refugee Zakat Fund over the past year, including during the month of Ramadan, have helped more than 1.2 million refugees and internally displaced persons and their families in more than 13 countries of asylum and displacement, including Yemen. #EveryGiftCounts this year also in their lives.