Tonight is Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of the year in Islam — a night that highlights the power of generosity.
Tonight, during the Night of Power, the gates of mercy are open, and every act of charity carries immense blessings. But for countless mothers and newborns in crisis zones worldwide, this night is one of suffering and unimaginable hardship.
In humanitarian crises around the world, women are left to give birth in overcrowded shelters and makeshift tents. Medical supplies are scarce, and in some areas, famine is tightening its grip — especially on pregnant women, new mothers, and infants.
In Gaza, doctors are reporting that they no longer see normal-sized babies. Doctors have shared that many newborns are too small and weak to survive because their mothers are too malnourished to produce milk. A midwife at one of the few remaining maternity hospitals gave a harrowing account: “There are no sheets, no baby towels. Without sheets, we have to deliver directly on the leather bed. One case after another. It’s miserable.”
In Sudan, the war has triggered a major humanitarian catastrophe in the country. Asma, a 27-year-old woman, was attending a prenatal appointment when shells hit Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital in Sudan late last year, “I was so scared. The glass from the windows shattered, and I was injured. But I was more scared for my baby. The medical team took care of us.”
UNFPA is devoted to providing care for hundreds of thousands of women in humanitarian crises, ensuring that mothers have a safe place to deliver and that their babies have a better chance of survival despite the destruction around them. But the need has never been greater.
During this sacred time, your generosity can bring hope. Observing Layla al-Qadr includes giving Sadaqah (voluntary charity) — your gift tonight can provide lifesaving care to women and newborns in the world’s most devastated conflict zones, offering medicine, safe delivery kits, and emergency aid.
In the spirit of the Night of Power, will you make a gift to deliver essential supplies and lifesaving care to those suffering in Gaza and beyond? Your Sadaqah will make a world of difference to those living in crisis.
Tonight, we pray that the suffering must cease and peace must take hold. Thank you for your support of women and girls.
We condemn the violence in Gaza, Syria, Sudan, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel, and hope for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages by Hamas, and an end to the violence. The suffering must end, and peace must prevail.
Sincerely,
Anu Surendran
Chief Executive Officer
USA for UNFP
