UNHCR Ramadan Appeal calls for support for refugees and displaced people amid the COVID-19 pandemic

5 May 2020

Nairobi, Kenya, 5 May 2020 – Hundreds of thousands among the 70.8 million refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons worldwide are among those observing the holy month of Ramadan. However, the pandemic has made them particularly vulnerable due to their limited access to clean water and quality sanitation and hygiene. To help alleviate their plight, UNHCR has launched a global Ramadan campaign.

“This year, the holy month of Ramadan greets us at a time of great global suffering,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “But it is in the essence of Ramadan that many of us can find solace and hope. At a time where our collective humanity is being tested, let us remember in this holy month our brothers and sisters who need our help.”

The appeal will also run for the month of Ramadan in Kenya, with the goal of receiving Sadaqah donations from private sector companies and foundations, as well as individuals. Kenya hosts almost half a million refugees and asylum-seekers, 84 per cent of whom live in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps located in Garissa and Turkana counties respectively.

“We have been steadfast in implementing COVID-19 preventive and response measures in the refugee camps, including enhanced hygiene, preparation of isolation facilities and procurement of medical and hygiene products. However, much more can be done,” said Fathiaa Abdalla, UNHCR Representative in Kenya. “Showing kindness and care for those in dire need is at the heart of the holy month of Ramadan. During this difficult period, any contribution to this Ramadan appeal, however small or big, will make a real difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable among the people we serve,” she added.

The funds raised by the Ramadan appeal in Kenya will help UNHCR to distribute essential hygiene materials to households, increase access to clean water, enhance hygiene in health facilities and support refugee soap makers in the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps. Funding will also support UNHCR’s hygiene promotion and mass communication campaigns on COVID-19 through radio, social media, bulk text messages, posters and leaflets targeting refugees in the country.

UNHCR Kenya’s total funding needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic currently totals USD 4.9 million and is part of the COVID-19 Emergency Appeal for Kenya, which was launched in April by the Government of Kenya, the United Nations and other humanitarian partners.

Donations can be made to UNHCR’s Ramadan appeal via MPesa: Paybill No. 329378, Account: Ramadan or by visiting donate.unhcr.org/ramadan

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 For more information, please contact:

Dana Hughes, [email protected], +254 733 440 536

Amina Rai, [email protected],  +254 792 339 766

Eujin Byun, [email protected], +254 798 487 988