UNHCR, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency, has launched a global Ramadan campaign for 2026 which draws on the Holy Month’s values of compassion, generosity and shared humanity.
The campaign aims to inspire meaningful action in support of forcibly displaced families by bringing the world’s attention to the stories of those who still give, despite having lost nearly everything.
“This year’s campaign is grounded in a simple yet powerful belief: people are not defined by what they have lost, but by what they choose to give,” said Raefah Makki, Head of Campaigns and Individual Giving Programme at UNHCR MENA.
The campaign shows that, even in places where nearly everything has been taken, refugees still teach, protect, and plant seeds for the future.
Moving beyond raising awareness of the global displacement crisis, the campaign is a call to action to make a conscious choice to give and take action for those less fortunate this Ramadan.
Delivering an emotionally resonant campaign
UNHCR’s overall Ramadan campaign has three installments. The first, a hero video that narrates generosity through the voices of displaced individuals in areas of crisis. Titled ‘Generous Hearts Find A Way’, a teacher, a mother and a child share why they value giving.
“Everything could disappear, but not education,” the teacher says in the video. His pledge to share knowledge with the children of the future, no matter the circumstance, is his generosity.
The video then cuts to a mother knitting a woollen hat. She simply says: “I make a hat for my child, and then I make a hat for another child. Not because they are mine. But because they are children.”
Finally, the video shows a child planting a seed. She tells the camera earnestly, “I found some seeds today, just a few. I planted them myself. I will wait for when they bear fruit because they won’t be mine alone. I’ll share them and then plant some more.”
The video showcases that a person isn’t defined by what they’ve lost, but by what they choose to give. This hero video is supported by two additional video assets. One, an animated narrative-driven call to action for donations to UNHCR and the other, a message from Omar Farooq, a UNHCR ambassador.
“The campaign features powerful storytelling videos, messages and letters of hope, and email fundraising appeals,” said Makki. “Together all of these elements work to deepen the audience’s awareness of the global refugee situation and needs, and help drive action to support the forcibly displaced.”
The assets were developed in house by UNHCR’s creative team, with the support of external creative agencies working on some elements. The campaign’s hero video was produced by the Bahrain based creative production house Atnafas.
Launch and roll-out
The campaign launched ten days before the start of Ramadan. It’s a multichannel campaign; with a significant portion of the rollout focused on digital platforms, including social media, email marketing, face-to-face fundraising booths across Dubai and DRTV in selected regions.
This media mix was strategically adopted to match audience’s high digital activity during Ramadan. Through its research, UNHCR has found that audiences spend more time engaging with meaningful content online and responding to charitable appeals.
“The campaign channels were selected to align with audience behaviour during Ramadan, as well as the campaign’s humanitarian objectives,” said Makki.
She further explained that these elements work to deepen the audience’s awareness of the global refugee situation and needs, and help drive action to support the forcibly displaced. Furthermore, story driven video content has been central to the campaign, “because our objective is not only to raise funds, but also to build empathy and bring refugee experiences closer to people’s daily lives,” said Makki.
To further amplify the campaign UNHCR also collaborated with its network of Goodwill Ambassadors and High Profile Supporters. These include prominent personalities such as Aseel Omran, Karen Wazen, Theo James, Yusra Mardini (a Syrian refugee, and an Olympian), Ambassador Maya Ghazal (one of the first female Syrian refugee pilots), Bahraini filmmaker Omar Farooq, and Egyptian Nasheed singer Mostafa Ate.
The campaign was also supported by prominent refugee advocates and content creators, including Eissa Al Habib, Nouran Tarek Al Sayed, and Mays Anbar.
“By using their platforms to share campaign content and messages of solidarity, they strengthened visibility, built trust, and encouraged meaningful public support for refugees during the holy month,” Makki explained.
Measuring impact
As humanitarians, UNHCR’s main objective is to drive impact to the cause of displaced individuals during the Holy Month.
With the aim to provide hundreds of thousands of families who have been forcibly displaced with life-saving support, the campaign’s success is measured in how many are helped through securing safe shelter, emergency cash and access to basic essentials.
“As resources shrink and needs grow, families face ever greater risks,” Makki said. “In the face of funding shortfalls, this assistance is not just helpful; it is a critical lifeline.”
All in all, the campaign centers on the transformative power of generosity across different backgrounds and circumstances, presenting a positive and empowering portrayal of refugees globally.
