September 5, 2024
SINGAPORE – The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) handed over a cheque for $1.1 million to Unicef, marking the second and final tranche of a special collection of donations during Ramadan earlier in 2024 to meet the humanitarian needs of children and their families in Gaza.
The ceremony, which was held in Amman, Jordan, on Sept 4 was witnessed by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, the foundation said.
It said the fund has been used to help children, women and families in Gaza to meet critical needs.
A total of $2.1 million was raised from March 20 to March 26, RLAF said on Sept 4.
Former RLAF chief executive officer Muhammad Faizal Othman presented the first tranche of $1 million in Singapore on April 16, while the second tranche of $1.1 million was handed by current RLAF CEO Adnan Abdul Hamid to the Middle East and North Africa regional deputy director of Unicef, Mr Marc Rubin, on Sept 4.
The donations from RLAF have also been used to help set up safe temporary learning spaces in shelters for internally displaced children. Additionally, it is being used to train 24 teachers to deliver educational and emotional support to the affected children.
These spaces serve as hubs for informal education, social and emotional support, and the provision of essential services, benefiting more than 840 children aged seven to 13.
While in Jordan to present the cheque, the foundation officials also visited the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), for which a separate fund raising for the same cause was held in late 2023.
UNRWA officials told the foundation that funds were used for mental health activities, food and cash assistance in Gaza and on-the-ground emergency efforts.
So far, RLAF has collected and disbursed a total of $10.2 million through two campaigns to support efforts to provide medical supplies, food and sanitation items to the affected communities in Gaza.
Including RLAF’s collections, Singapore has to date contributed $17 million to help Gaza civilians.
Following the ceremony, Mr Masagos, who is also Second Minister for Health and Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, said in a Facebook post on Sept 4: “To the people of Singapore, I am deeply grateful for your overwhelming support to this urgent and significant cause.
“Singapore will continue to work with our Middle Eastern partners to contribute humanitarian supplies and assistance to Gaza and emphasise the urgency for these aids to reach our intended recipients who are in dire need of help.
“RLAF is going to mount another fund-raising campaign for Gaza soon and I fully support this noble initiative. I look forward to everyone’s strong support.”
In an earlier post on Sept 3, he said he discussed the recent developments with his counterparts and officials in Abu Dhabi.
He added that with the United Arab Emirates’ support, Singapore will work with it and Cyprus to deliver the fourth tranche – following the third tranche in March – of aid consisting of 300 tonnes of canned sardines and 1,000 tonnes of rice to Gaza.