Give Zakat Directly to Sudanese Refugees

This Ramadan, the Union of Muslim Student Associations' in South Africa (MSA Union), in collaboration with other organisations, invites you to channel your Zakat where it can create real, lasting change. Sudanese refugees are fleeing violence and facing dire conditions, yet unlike many crises, we have an effective, evidence-backed, high-impact way to support them: direct cash transfers.

Over 66,000 have fled to Kiryandongo since December 2023, stretching already scarce resources. The UN reports food insecurity, lack of clean water, and inadequate healthcare.

We need your support now. GiveDirectly has $6M committed but could absorb up to $15M to reach every refugee in need. Your Zakat can help bridge this gap.

Note: This Zakat fundraiser is independently managed by the MSA Union and was submitted to the Cape Town Ulama Board, who have confirmed that the program meets Zakat eligibility criteria. The funds raised will support GiveDirectly’s proven cash transfer program for Sudanese refugees.

Why Cash may be the Most Effective Support

With global conflict showing no signs of abating, the number of refugees who have fled to foreign land reached an unprecedented 43.4 million in 2024. International aid struggles to meet demand, often only covering refugees' most basic needs. Unable to find work due to their refugee status, language barriers, immobility, and lack of community connections, refugees tend to be the poorest of a country’s poor. With 80% of refugee crises lasting for more than 10 years, humanitarian assistance alone is insufficient in meeting refugees’ needs; longer term solutions are required.

• Unconditional cash empowers refugees to buy essentials, start businesses, and achieve self-reliance.
• Many studies have proven that direct cash transfers have a long term impact on income, asset ownership, business ownership, health, nutrition, education, and psychological well-being.
• Studies confirm cash transfers reduce spending on temptation goods and strengthen local economies.

Large one-off cash transfers offer a solution, assisting refugees in their journey towards economic independence by enabling them to purchase income generating assets and invest in livelihoods. In contrast to common concerns, the data highlights that spending on temptation goods, like tobacco and alcohol, actually decreases at scale.

GiveDirectly’s research shows that these benefits extend to refugee contexts and has helped refugees rebuild their lives and gain independence. To date, GiveDirectly has delivered $21.3M in cash transfers to 30,000+ people across Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Independent charity evaluator GiveWell concluded that “GiveDirectly is one of the strongest programs that we’ve found in years of research”. Enock Wangila, an expert from the humanitarian NGO Mercy Corps, has said that “there is overwhelming evidence that shows that unconditional cash transfers are the best mode of providing assistance to the most vulnerable”.

Why Give Zakat as Cash?

From an Islamic Socio-Ethical perspective, paying Zakat on your wealth via cash transfer is recognised by most Islamic scholars as an acceptable means of donating, whereas paying people in poverty via in-kind items such as food without a specific reason to do so is the subject of some scholarly disagreement.

For example, Dr. Shahrul Hussain, a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence and graduate of the University of Al-Azhar in Cairo, argues that charities should refrain from unnecessarily converting donations into in-kind items or to fund programmes, as “zakat-money belongs to the recipients to spend it as they see fit”. Hussain argues charities do not have the right to determine how to spend zakat; from an Islamic perspective, the money belongs to the recipients, and so should be given to them as cash, so that they can decide how best to spend it for themselves.

An underfunded influx of Sudanese refugees to Uganda

Uganda is host to the largest refugee population in Africa. Recently, there has been a significant influx of Sudanese refugees to Uganda. Despite these growing needs, financial resources have been consistently reducing with only 43% of the $363M target for the refugee response met in 2024. These cuts require cost-effective solutions for sustainably meeting refugee needs, and helping them get on a path to self-reliance.

Over the past 20 months, due to the worsening conflict, over 66,885 Sudanese refugees have been registered in Uganda, with the majority being resettled in Kiryandongo (for context, when GiveDirectly first worked in this settlement in 2019, there were 10,000 households.) This is stretching the resources of the settlement. The UN has reported dire conditions, including lack of clean water, sanitation, and healthcare. 20% of the settlement’s population is currently facing acute food insecurity and a further 30% are at risk. Given these challenges, urgent action is needed to support Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo.

Expanding support in Kiryandongo to new arrivals

GiveDirectly just launched their expanded response to deliver unconditional cash transfers to refugees who have arrived in Kiryandongo since the influx began in December 2023. GiveDirectly intentionally provides amounts (approx. $1,000 per household) which are designed to be transformative and reduce reliance on assistance.

They've expanded to reach 4,850 families, but there are 12,000+ families that still need support. Their goal is to empower refugees toward self-reliance while easing pressure on local resources and boosting the economy. With thousands of families still in need, expanding support is critical. Join them in delivering direct cash relief to refugees today.

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is a nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. In the last decade, GiveDirectly has delivered $900M+ to over 1.6 million people across eleven countries while undertaking 23 RCTs with independent academics and non-profit research groups. GiveDirectly currently have operations in DRC, Kenya, Liberia, Morocco, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Bangladesh, Mozambique, and the United States. GiveDirectly has an established record of operational excellence and transparency - achieving consistent ratings as one of GiveWell’s top charities - and in less than a decade has become an influential, innovative player in the poverty-reduction and humanitarian spaces.

About the authors

The Union of Muslim Students' Associations' in South Africa (MSA Union) is an umbrella body that was established in 1973 to represent the members of all respective Muslim Student Association chapters, regional bodies and others, across South Africa. It has grown to be one of the largest student representative bodies in South Africa, representing South African Muslim students at a provincial, national and international level. The MSA aims to assist in developing students and creating an active citizenship.

The Muslim Impact Lab is a multidisciplinary research organisation dedicated to finding ways of maximizing the positive social impact of our servitude from an Islamic perspective. Their research methodology draws on rigorous evidence, careful reasoning, and different understandings of the Divine intent throughout our Islamic intellectual history.