Despite shared sorrow and loss, displaced Palestine refugees in Damascus were able to celebrate the recent Eid al-Adha feast thanks to a donation from Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Canada.
Eid al-Adha is the second most significant holiday in the Muslim calendar. The festival commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son as a sign of his obedience to God. A central part of festivities is dining on the meat of sacrificed sheep. The donation from ICNA Canada allowed UNRWA to purchase 57 sheep and serve hot meals to 7,616 displaced Palestine refugees living in the Agency’s collective shelters in Damascus.
“As the conflict persists for many Palestine refugees, including those who have been displaced, families, meat, holiday sweets and gift-giving are out of reach. Providing meat is a way of making the holiday special for the conflict-affected Palestine refugees,” says Abu Ahmed, a Palestine refugee from Husseinieh, who is now living at the UNRWA al-Kabri School collective shelter in Jaramana Camp with his wife and eight children.
Um Alaa also fled the violence in Husseinieh for the al-Kabri School shelter. Recalling the days before the Syrian conflict, Um Alaa says, “My heart is filled with sorrow as I remember when family and friends graced my table and there would be talk and laughter as we shared festive meals during the Eid. But the distribution of meat this year helped spread the very essence of Eid festivities. Now, our only desire is to return to our homes.”
Abu Ahmad and Um Alaa are among the approximately 270,000 Palestine refugees who have been displaced within Syria since the hostilities began. The contribution from ICNA Canada complemented the Agency's provision of food aid to conflict-affected families, the majority of whom need urgent and ongoing assistance to meet their basic needs.