NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 9 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, commenced its 2024 Ramadan campaign in Kenya with a collaborative event uniting faith and business leaders, private sector partners, media, and UNHCR senior leadership.
The gathering, held at UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for East, Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes region, underscored the campaign’s aim to impact the lives of displaced persons and host communities in Dadaab.
Kenya has demonstrated remarkable hospitality by hosting refugees for over three decades. Presently, the country is home to over 710,000 refugees, with a majority residing in refugee camps in Turkana and Garissa Counties.
Dadaab Refugee Complex in Kenya shelters more than 335,000 refugees, predominantly from Somalia, who coexist with the local host community.
The focus of this year’s Ramadan campaign is to rally resources for UNHCR and partners to sustain access to clean water for tens of thousands of refugees and host community members in Dadaab.
Additionally, the campaign aims to provide shelter kits to the most vulnerable families.
Kelly T. Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative: “I am delighted to be in Nairobi to launch the 2024 Ramadan Campaign with our key private sector partners and faith leaders. This year, the campaign seeks to raise funds to address water and shelter needs for thousands of families in Dadaab Refugee Camp. Such campaigns serve as a crucial lifeline for displaced individuals and their host communities.”
Funds garnered from last year’s campaign in Kenya have been instrumental in sustaining seven out of 22 boreholes in Dadaab.
These funds facilitated the swift replacement of submersible pumps, overall maintenance, and security, ensuring operational continuity and water supply for over 100,000 people.
This year, new private sector partners, including DIB Bank Kenya, have stepped up their support for the Ramadan campaign. DIB Bank is co-hosting UNHCR’s Ramadan iftar fundraiser, with representation at today’s event.
Mary Kanuku, Head of Treasury at DIB Bank, affirmed the institution’s commitment: “As a leading Islamic Financial Institution, we are honoured to partner with UNHCR to support refugees in their time of need.
At DIB Bank Kenya, we recognize the importance of assisting those forced to rebuild their lives. By supporting UNHCR’s vital work, we are reaffirming our commitment to making a positive impact on global humanitarian issues.”
The annual Ramadan campaign in Kenya aims to facilitate Sadaqah and Zakat contributions to aid refugees and host communities in the Dadaab refugee camp.
This year’s campaign welcomes partnerships with Kenya’s private sector and individuals to address water and shelter needs for refugees and local host communities.
In 2019, UNHCR globally launched the Refugee Zakat Fund, a trusted and effective mechanism leveraging Zakat and Sadaqah to aid the most vulnerable refugees and IDPs. To date, the Fund has positively impacted over 7 million people in Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia.
