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File Photo; The Muslims led by Luwero District Kadhi Ramadhan Mulindwa slaughtering a cow at Kasana Mosque for distribution to others during Eid. URN Many vulnerable families who traditionally depend on donated livestock and meat distributions to celebrate Eid
File Photo; The Muslims led by Luwero District Kadhi Ramadhan Mulindwa slaughtering a cow at Kasana Mosque for distribution to others during Eid.
URN
Many vulnerable families who traditionally depend on donated livestock and meat distributions to celebrate Eid al-Adha are facing uncertainty following disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice,” is one of the holiest celebrations in Islam. It commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah before God provided a ram as a substitute.
The celebration is marked by the slaughtering of animals such as cows, goats, sheep, and camels, with the meat shared among family members, neighbours, and especially poor and vulnerable households.
Every year, international charitable organisations from countries including Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran send donations to Uganda to support livestock purchases and meat distribution campaigns for disadvantaged Muslim communities during Eid.
However, Muslim leaders say this year’s donations have drastically reduced due to the ongoing war involving Israel and escalating instability across parts of the Middle East, which has affected the operations and financial capacity of donor organisations.
In Arua and the greater West Nile region, Muslims annually receive between 10 and 20 camels through the Africa Muslim Agency (AMA) to support vulnerable families during Eid al-Adha. Sheikh Rashid Khemis, the Arua City Khadi for Central Division, said that under normal circumstances, the donated animals arrive at least a week before Eid celebrations. However, with only hours remaining before the festivities, no animals had yet been delivered.
Khemis attributed the delays to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, saying it had negatively affected the incomes and activities of Muslim donors and charitable organisations that usually support communities in Uganda.
In Luwero District, at least 1,000 head of cattle are usually donated annually by various charity organisations to support Eid celebrations among vulnerable Muslim families.
Hajji Musa Kakande, the Chairperson of Greater Luwero Muslim District, said that this year, only one organisation had confirmed plans to slaughter 300 head of cattle and distribute meat to families in Kalule and Kalagala trading centres. Kakande said many mosques across the district had not received any livestock donations, leaving poor Muslim families disappointed ahead of the celebrations.
Meanwhile, the Regional Assistant Mufti for the North Eastern Region, Sheikh Abubakar Obilan Umar, said the disruption of traditional aid flows from the Middle East had forced Muslim leaders to seek support from alternative partners in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia to support vulnerable communities in the Karamoja and Teso sub-regions.
Obilan said the support would help households struggling with poverty and food insecurity during the Eid period. He added that strict measures had been introduced to ensure donated animals and meat reach the intended beneficiaries directly.
“This time, we have to ensure there is no diversion as it used to happen when individuals claim they need dozens of animals for communities, only to divert them for personal gain by selling them to butchers, restaurants, and hotels instead of giving them to the poor,” Obilan said.
In Masaka District, Sheikh Badru Wasswa Kiruuta, the District Kadhi, said Muslims had been encouraged to make joint financial contributions toward the purchase of sacrificial animals so that more families could still participate in the celebrations despite the shortage of donations.
Issa Katungulu, the Coordinator of humanitarian agencies including African Friendship and Diyant Foundation, said the war in the Middle East had likely compelled many donors to prioritise humanitarian assistance for populations affected within their own countries instead of extending aid abroad.
The reduced support has raised concerns among Muslim leaders that thousands of vulnerable families across Uganda may miss out on one of the key traditions of Eid al-Adha, which symbolises sacrifice, charity, compassion, and solidarity with the less privileged.