Why is Ramadan only represented by pictures of samosas, crescents, lanterns, and dates? We want to see what Ramadan really looks like around the world. Take a photo — your dinner table, Masjid, decor, etc. — share this and tag us with the hashtag #RamadanAcrossBorders on Instagram and Twitter for a chance to be featured.
Charity has always been one of the biggest parts of Ramadan. So this year, we’re doing our part by working with the United Nations Work and Relief Agency to bring food to families in Palestine throughout the month of Ramadan. 100% of donations to UNRWA’s Ramadan campaign will go directly to Gaza.
Read the story of the Zerayeh family:
Lentil soup, labneh, cheese, hummus, and falafel. It’s a simple meal that the Zerayeh family will break their fast with, but it wouldn’t even be on their table without food aid.
Zohair, Sahar, and their eight children are Palestine refugees who live in the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City. Like Muslims all over the world, they have been looking forward to Ramadan, but breaking their fast presents a challenge. Zohair is part of the 41% of Palestinians in Gaza who are unemployed due to the blockade-crippled economy and as a result, their family is food insecure.
Like 1.2 million other refugees there, they rely on services provided by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). 66% of Gaza’s population are refugees, displaced from their homes, villages, and cities as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
With the Israeli-imposed blockade in place, virtually all imports and exports have been frozen for a decade now. A large part of Gaza’s population has been pushed into aid dependency and poverty. The assistance UNRWA provides often makes all the difference for Palestine refugee families.
The Zerayehs make ends meet with the help of an UNRWA food assistance basket including ingredients such as flour, oil, sugar, rice, and chickpeas. 18-month-old Salem gets Vitamin D from milk powder, helping him grow strong bones. 11-year-old Asma loves the falafel her mother makes with the chickpeas. The snack food has become a delicacy for her, because it’s too expensive at the market.
Rice pudding is on the menu for tonight’s iftar. Sahar can make it out of the ingredients that UNRWA provides, and it’s a sweet treat for the Zerayeh family.
Be sure to do your part to aid this important cause to help families like the Zerayehs in Gaza right now.
To find out more about this campaign, visit: ramadanacrossborders.com
To donate, visit: getinvolved.unrwa.org
Facebook: UNRWA USA
Twitter: @unrwausa
Instagram: @unrwausa
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Feature Image: Salem, 18 months, drinking milk made from milk powder included in the UNRWA food basket. // © 2016 UNRWA photo by Mohamed AlHinawi
#RamadanAcrossBorders — What Does Your Ramadan Look Like?
By MG Staff