Ramadan Action 2021 – Hunger-free packages for internally displaced persons

Herat, Afghanistan

Project start: 2021

Completed

Target achieved:

39.349 €

Four million internally displaced people in Afghanistan are facing major challenges under the current conditions of the pandemic. They live in rudimentarily equipped camps. For the majority of refugees, working as day laborers is not enough to provide for their families. Out of necessity, more and more refugees are deciding to sell their kidneys – with serious consequences.

To support the families, we once again launched an emergency humanitarian aid program this year during the month of Ramadan. The “Hunger Free Packages” benefited 355 families in a refugee camp near Herat.

Thanks to the generous support of the
Nader Etmenan Foundation
and everyone’s donations, we were even able to exceed the campaign’s fundraising target. The surplus from the donations will go towards necessary infrastructure measures at a school for visually impaired children in Herat, which we
already supported with emergency aid packages
supported with emergency aid packages.

THE SHANBE BAZAR REFUGEE CAMP

There are many reasons for fleeing within the country. Estimates of the
“Internal Displacement Monitoring Center’s 2020 Global Report”
Afghanistan has the highest number of people displaced by natural disasters. Droughts, floods, storms and earthquakes force people to leave their homes. The country’s four decades of conflict are also forcing people to flee: According to the UN organization
OCHA
more than 53,000 people have already been displaced from their homes due to conflict in 2021.

The Shanbe Bazar refugee camp is located around 15 kilometers outside of Herat and is home to more than 350 families. The inhabitants of the camp live in extreme poverty in cramped conditions in simple mud buildings without electricity or running water. There, the refugees can neither keep sufficient distance nor do they have the necessary means for hygiene measures.

The residents lack basic foodstuffs and receive no financial support from the state. Some of the residents work as construction workers or day laborers in the city. Refugees’ already difficult access to work, food and healthcare is now even more restricted during the coronavirus pandemic.

ORGAN TRADE OUT OF NECESSITY

Due to the financial hardship, around 100 people from the camp have already fallen victim to the illegal organ trade and sold their kidneys. “It was the easiest and quickest way to earn money to pay off debts and keep the family from starving,” says a 33-year-old resident of Shanbe Bazar. The illegal operations haveserious consequences due to a lack of information and follow-up treatment. Some of the organ donors are often unable to work for months or even forever and are thus driven even further into poverty, contrary to their hopes.

EMERGENCY AID PACKAGES FOR 355 FAMILIES

As part of our Ramadan emergency aid this year, we supported 355 families in the Shanbe Bazar camp with basic foodstuffs and hygiene products.A “hunger-free package” costs 78 euros and is enough to feed a family of six to eight for around three months. One package contained the following:

40 kg flour
35 kg rice
7 kg sugar
5 kg peas
1 kg beans
3.5 l oil
1.5 kg green tea
1 water bucket
two bars of soap and shampoo
1.5 kg of nabat for the Ramadan feast

Our long-standing and trusted association member Winuss Azizi once again organized emergency aid on the ground in Herat. The contents of the packages were purchased locally and distributed directly to the families.

The surplus from the Ramadan emergency aid donations will go towards necessary infrastructure measures at a school for the blind in Herat, which we
already supported with emergency aid packages
supported with emergency aid packages.

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THE FASTING MONTH OF RAMADAN

Many Muslims fast during the 9th month of the Islamic calendar – Ramadan. They abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset. In the evening, the fast is then broken at “Iftar” with family and friends. The month of fasting ends with the three-day Ramadan festival, which is celebrated as a communal event for up to three days, depending on the region. The festive joy and food is shared with friends and family, but also with neighbors.

Charity has a special meaning during the month of fasting, so many Muslims make donations to the needy during Ramadan.