Make your zakat count.

Did you know that donations to UNRWA’s
food and cash assistance program
are Zakat-certified?

UNRWA’s Food and Cash Assistance Program
is Zakat-Eligible

The National Zakat Foundation Worldwide
has certified UNRWA’s food and cash assistance program as zakat-eligible.
To qualify, organizations must ensure that beneficiaries meet strict criteria of
being "poor and needy."

Your zakat donation
directly supports Palestine refugees —
providing essential food and cash assistance
in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Ways to give

  • Illustration of three friends sitting on a tiled floor, eating and drinking. One person is holding a hamburger, another is pouring an orange drink into a cup, and the third person is using a tablet. The background features glowing stars and wavy lines.

    1. Gather for Gaza

    One of the most creative ways that supporters of UNRWA USA raise money to provide UNRWA food assistance for refugees in Gaza is by hosting a Gather for Gaza fundraising event (previously, Iftar for Gaza).

    These events come in many forms.

    Whatever you choose, the purpose of your gathering for Gaza is to connect with your community to educate them on the humanitarian situation facing Palestine refugees in Gaza and generate funds for UNRWA's at-risk food assistance program.

    Learn more
  • Laptop displaying a webpage with a child's photo, UNRWA logo, and text promoting fundraising for Palestine refugees during Ramadan.

    2. Start a fundraiser

    Set up your own personal fundraising page and invite your network to join you
    in reaching your fundraising goal.

    Start a fundraiser
  • Man speaking into a microphone behind a podium with a vase of red flowers.

    3. Invite UNRWA USA to speak to your community

    Whether it's at your local mosque, church, synagogue, or interfaith gathering, we'd love to share stories from the field and offer practical ways to get involved.

    Message us about your event details,
    and we’ll work with you to create an engaging session.

    Tell us about your event

Frequently
asked questions

  • Yes. Despite the Israeli Knesset ban, UNRWA’s operations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still ongoing for now. Since the ceasefire, two-thirds of the aid entering Gaza is being delivered by UNRWA.

  • As one of the five pillars of Islam, zakat is almsgiving, representing a portion of one’s wealth, to the poor and vulnerable on an annual basis.

    There are eight categories of eligible people who may receive zakat, including those administering zakat’s collection and distribution, the poor, and the indebted, among others.

  • All zakat donations are segregated into a specific account earmarked for food and cash assistance to the most impoverished Palestine refugees and are used within one lunar year, ensuring your money is used urgently and is directed to those who need it the most.

    In the case of food assistance, food baskets are delivered to qualifying families on a quarterly basis.

    In the Gaza Strip, over 2 million Palestine refugees live in poverty and about 1.7 million are forced to rely on UNRWA cash and food assistance to meet their most basic needs.

    f this form of charitable giving is part of your faith, your zakat-eligible donation can provide essential support to the poorest and most vulnerable Palestine refugees.

  • Donations to UNRWA’s food and cash assistance program are Zakat-certified.

    The National Zakat Foundation Worldwide certified UNRWA’s food and cash assistance program as zakat-eligible. In order to be zakat-eligible, an organization or program must confirm that beneficiaries of zakat meet specific eligibility criteria of being “poor and needy.”

    • National Zakat Foundation certification of zakat-eligibility

    • Certification Letter from Jerusalem Islamic

    • Council Certification Letter from Al-Azhar