Production:
Malcolm Lucard
Videography:
Thibault Lauritzen
For Muslims, the month of Ramadan is a time for praying together, sharing meals and charity. With the arrival of COVID-19, Ramadan in 2020 has been like no other. Some mosques have hosted virtual prayers or invited people in to pray at a safe, social distance. Important meals such as suhoor (morning meal before the fast) and iftar (breaking fast at the end of the day) have been observed more carefully, under the shadow of the pandemic.
Health experts involved in the fight to stop Covid-19 say the traditional Ramadan practice of family gatherings and charity — such cooking communal meals for those in need — has posed many challenges. But in this first episode of Red Cross Red Crescent magazine’s Expert Sources, health practitioners in various parts of the Muslim world say Ramadan’s values of reflection and personal growth has also offered many unique opportunities.
In 2018, Hassan Al Kontar was stranded in an airport for 7 months as his asylum claim was reviewed. Now, Hassan is once again in the news — this time for the ways he gives back to the country that took him in.
The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing a critical examination of how communities and countries prepare for multiple, overlapping crises. Here are a few lessons the Japanese Red Cross Society learned after the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown ten years ago this month.
In places where conflict or crisis means basic services are scarce, the use of data is saving lives. But protecting people’s physical well-being, experts say, is also about protecting their digital profile in cyberspace.
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