Goodwill Caravan raises thousands during London's Ramadan iftar to help Sudan, Palestine

Arab News

11-03-2025

LONDON: Goodwill Caravan, a UK-based humanitarian charity, raised thousands of dollars during a Ramadan iftar event in London to support refugees from Palestine and Sudan living in Egypt.
The charity has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years for emergency food and aid campaigns in countries affected by armed conflicts.
Hanan Ashegh, founder of Goodwill Caravan, told Arab News that the charity hopes to raise £150,000 ($194,000) by the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which concludes in March.
Donations will support the Sallam Center in Cairo, which provides emergency assistance to displaced people from war-torn regions, including Sudan and the Gaza Strip, offering food, shelter, legal support, and medical aid.
Ashegh said that an auction and iftar event raised £55,000 this week. Last year, the charity raised £120,000 during a single Ramadan iftar to help Palestinians in Gaza by sending 16 trucks loaded with aid to the coastal enclave.
The charity is planning to open the Sallam Center in Libya to help those in need and support sub-Saharan refugees and trafficking survivors in the North African country that has experienced over a decade of political schism and instability.
Ashegh said that the charity employs a 'holistic model' to address the issues faced by refugees, helping with food, shelter, and integration into a country 'that may not readily accept them.'
Event is a testament to the depth of support Palestinians have in the British public
Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the UK
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, told Arab News that such fundraising events are 'a testament to the depth of support (Palestinians) have in the British public, and particularly among those who really want to support the Palestinian cause not only by words but by deeds.'
Between October 2023 and the summer of 2024, around 110,000 Palestinians were forced to flee to Egypt as Israel bombed Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people.
Zomlot added that it was essential to support displaced Palestinians in Egypt and in other countries, and to ensure that 'until they return back to their home, rebuild their lives, they also have lives wherever they are.'
Goodwill Caravan, founded in 2015, manages refugee and anti-trafficking projects in Greece and the UK, and has helped hundreds of Palestinian families from Gaza at its Sallam Center in Egypt.
Myriam Francois, a British journalist, filmmaker, and writer, said that refugees are frequently demonized not only by British and US tabloids but also worldwide.
'Refugees are represented as some sort of existential threat to our societies,' she told Arab News.
Francois said that charitable acts are vital to provide refugees with 'the tools to be able to get back on their feet.'
She added that Ramadan is a special time to 'recalibrate ourselves in the rhythm of our faith' and help those in need.