Members of the Muslim community in Winnipeg, Manitoba, have hosted a fundraising iftar to support people of the war-torn Yemen who are having a difficult Ramadan with severe food shortages,
The iftar, hosted by Islamic Relief Canada on Friday night at the Winnipeg Grand Mosque, aimed to raise money for people bearing the brunt of the civil war in Yemen.
“The month of Ramadan is not just about holding ourselves as Muslims from eating and drinking, but charity and being generous in supporting others both locally and abroad,” said Usama Khan, CEO of Islamic Relief Canada, the organization that held the event, CBC reported.
“We’re here to break fast with our friends from Winnipeg … and hopefully raise awareness of the people of Yemen, which is a forgotten crisis.”
-
Mohamad Jumaily, team leader for Islamic Relief Canada
The war in Yemen started when the Huthis took control of Sanaa in 2014, prompting the Saudi-led intervention in March of the following year in support of the ousted government.
Yemen’s intractable war has killed hundreds of thousands directly or indirectly and displaced millions, triggering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
“Since seven years, most of their country was destroyed,” said Mohamad Jumaily, the Winnipeg team leader for Islamic Relief Canada.
“Infrastructure destroyed — everything. They are miserable.”
