Saltanah, 50, lives in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen, with her 6 children. Outside of seasonal distributions such as qurban and Ramadan, the family also receives support from Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Program.

“[Eid] is a special time of happiness because it’s the only time in the year when my children and I get to eat meat. They wait for this day all year long,” Saltanah says.

Suffering from an illness that prevents her from working, Saltanah has no option but to rely on aid to meet her family’s needs.

“We have no source of income and no family to support us. We survive on what Islamic Relief provides,” she explains. “Everything is too expensive… access to food, clean water and basic needs is a daily struggle.

“Meat is not part of our regular diet. We only eat it once a year when Islamic Relief provides it during Eid al-Adha… most days, we eat yoghurt because it’s all we can afford.”

Bringing joy, restoring dignity

Saltanah was among the almost 70,000 people in Yemen that received a qurban meat parcel through Islamic Relief’s distribution in 2025.

In 2025, Islamic Relief’s annual qurban distribution reached more than 3.2 million people in 29 countries, easing the burden on vulnerable families, supporting their nutrition and sharing the joy of Eid.

This year, needs in Yemen are even greater as families like Saltanah’s grapple with a severe hunger crisis and dwindling international support.

“It is extremely difficult [to buy meat] – impossible, really. We simply can’t afford it,” Saltanah says. “The lack of proper nutrition, including meat, has weakened my health and makes daily life even harder.”

Amid this hardship, your generosity allows Islamic Relief to provide families like Saltanah’s with a moment of respite during a special time of year.

“[The meat pack] brought us joy and allowed my children to eat something they never get the chance to. It restored some of our dignity and gave us a reason to smile during Eid,” Saltanah says.

“May Allah bless Islamic Relief and our sponsor. They have restored some hope in our lives.”

Fulfil your Qurban this Eid. Give generously to our Qurban Appeal to help us reach even more families like Saltanah’s in Yemen and beyond this year.