Emergency

Winter Appeal

Help families survive the cold. Your donations can provide warm blankets, winter clothes, nutritious food and heating to keep them warm and safe.

Winter weather can kill

At the end of 2025, 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes (UNHCR).

For displaced families, flimsy tents and makeshift shelters are no match for the long cold nights, heavy rains and biting winds of winter. Even in areas with milder winters, nigh time temperatures can still be deadly when families have no real shelter or protection.

Poverty leaves people exposed too. Even with a roof over their heads, parents struggling to afford food may have nothing left to heat their homes or buy their children warm clothes and blankets.

Your Zakat and Sadaqah can protect families from the cold. Donate to Muslim Hands’ Winter Appeal to help provide warm blankets and clothing, heating fuel, nutritious food and more.

Keep them warm, keep them alive. Donate today.

Be part of the winter distributions

See where your generosity will be making a difference. Below, you can follow our upcoming winter aid distributions as we deliver blankets, warm clothing and food parcels to families in need.

Distribution Date: 10/11/26

Sudan Warm blankets and clothing, bedding and tarpaulin for displaced families in Northern State and North Kordofan

Distribution Date: 10/12/2026

Yemen Food parcels, warm blankets and clothing and bedding for displaced families in Ma'rib and Taiz

Distribution Date: 15/12/2026

Bangladesh Warm blankets and clothing and hot water flasks for families living with poverty in North and South-West Bangladesh

Distribution date: 24/12/2026

Afghanistan Warm blankets and clothing and food parcels for families living with poverty Southern Salang and Parwan Province

Distribution date: 25/12/2026

Pakistan Winter clothes and bedding for communities living with poverty in Quetta, Swat, Azad Kashmir and Wazirabad

'Next time, Insha’Allah': A mother’s prayer for winter

Three children in Pakistan smile and do a thumbs-up to the camera after receiving winter clothes from Muslim Hands

Ruqquia, 30, is a widow living with her children near Rawalakot in the hills of Azad Kashmir . She earns occasional money washing clothes, but it is not enough to meet her family’s needs and help from relatives goes towards basic expenses like food.

Their home offers little protection from the cold. Gaps in the unfinished walls let icy winds inside, but as Ruqquia explained, 'Winter is our greatest challenge, as we lack the funds to buy quilts and other essential warm items.’

When her children asked for warm clothes like other children had, she could only tell them: 'Next time, Insha’Allah, we will also have new clothes.'

Alhamdulillah, your donations provided thick winter blankets and bedding, along with winter clothes for the entire family, during our 2025–2026 response. 

Ruqquia told our teams how much the support meant to families like hers, saying, 'Muslim Hands has blessed me and brought hope to me and my children.' Her prayers were answered when you gave your Zakat and Sadaqah and her children no longer had to wait for next year to feel warm and protected in the winter months.

Your donations in action

Winter in the UK

One in five UK households struggled to afford enough food in 2026 (Trussell). As the cost of living crisis deepens, families on low incomes face impossible choices between heating their homes and putting food on the table.

Our Open Kitchens provide free hot meals in a warm welcoming space to low-income families, rough sleepers and refugees seven days a week in London, Nottingham and Manchester.

Help keep our kitchens cooking this winter. Donate today.

Find out more

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is winter a hard time of year for some?

Winter can be dangerous for displaced families living in flimsy tents or makeshift shelters, where keeping warm and dry is a daily struggle. Families living in poverty may have a roof over their heads but cannot afford warm clothing or heating, forcing difficult choices between keeping warm and buying food.

Without adequate protection, prolonged exposure to cold can cause hypothermia and worsen existing health conditions. Babies and older people are particularly vulnerable, alongside those already weakened by illness or hunger.

What are the temperatures like in the places you help?

Some communities face freezing temperatures and snow, including those in Afghanistan’s Salang area and the highlands of Kashmir. In Pakistan, Kalam in Swat recorded −9°C in January 2026. Temperatures also fall below zero in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and northern Syria, while freezing nights put rough sleepers at risk in the UK.

Winter is milder in other locations, but keeping warm remains a challenge. Bangladesh recorded 6.7°C in January 2026 in Naogaon district, where we work, while winter nights in Gaza can fall to around 8–11°C. In Sudan, warm days give way to cold nights. For families without adequate shelter or heating, there is little relief from the cold, especially when they lack warm clothes and dry bedding.

How can I donate to Muslim Hands today?

The easiest way to donate is through our website Simply add a donation to your basket and checkout using Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit or debit card or via direct bank transfer. If you'd prefer to donate by phone, simply give us a call on 0115 911 7222.

Can I give my Zakat to the winter appeal?

Yes, you can give Zakat to Muslim Hands’ Winter Appeal. Your Zakat can help provide winter essentials to people facing the cold who qualify to receive it under Islamic guidelines. You can also give Sadaqah to our Winter Fund.

What is your donation policy?

Our donation policy is 90%. This means that 90% of your donation will go towards your chosen cause and 10% is contributed to further fundraising. Admin costs are covered by Gift Aid, which also contributes to our Where Most Needed fund.

Find out more about where your money is spent.