VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

National Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The MOU is an effort to provide assistance and protection to the Palestinians that become conflict victims in their country. The MOU was signed at the Pancasila building of Foreign Affairs Ministry Office on Tuesday, October 16^th 2018. The Vice Chairman of BAZNAS, Zainulbahar Noor and UNRWA Chairman signed the MOU. BAZNAS also provides donation to Jordan Hashemite Charity organization for Palestinian. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi who witnessed the signing of the MOU said that what BAZNAS did was the first innovation of distributing zakat in Indonesia.

“The third is National Zakat Agency Baznas as we have witnessed earlier have donated to the UNRWA and Jordan Hashemite charity organization for the Palestinian refugees. This is the first innovation where zakat can be channeled for the refugees, in this case, Palestinian refugees,” said Retno Marsudi.

On the same occasion BAZNAS Vice Chairman, Zainulbahar Noor explained that the MOU was signed focusing on the Palestinian refugees issues that is vurnarable and depends on the UNRWA donation. According to him, BAZNAS is committed to helping the Palestinian people, includingthe refugees who are currently under UNRWA protection. The number of refugees listed is five million people that spread in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Coast and Gaza Strip. He added that Baznas has held a charity event for the Palestinians for two years and the donation will be given to UNRWA to support their programs especially in education and health by cooperating with the local and international agencies. (VOI/VIQRAN/Trans :NK/AHM)