What Your Support Made Possible Last Winter

For families already living through poverty, displacement or crisis, winter can bring another layer of hardship.

Freezing temperatures can make it difficult to stay warm, prepare food or protect children and older family members from the cold. For households with very little to begin with, something as simple as heating a home can become a serious challenge.

Last winter, your support helped The Zahra Trust provide vital winter relief to communities facing these conditions.

In 2025, 27,800 people received winter support, with 123,000 meals distributed and 7,905 individuals receiving winter essentials.

Behind every number is a person, a family and a community trying to get through some of the hardest months of the year.

Winter Can Be Life-Threatening

Winter is not difficult for everyone in the same way.

For families with reliable heating, warm homes and enough food, cold weather may simply mean shorter days and heavier coats. But for people already facing hardship, freezing temperatures can become a serious health and safety risk.

In 2025, The Zahra Trust provided winter relief across Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Yemen and other parts of the Middle East.

Support was prioritised for neglected and hard-to-reach communities, including areas where freezing temperatures arrive early and remain severe.

This included support in Parachinar in the Kurram District, as well as winter distributions in areas such as Sar-e Pol.

The aim was simple: help vulnerable families stay warm, protect their health and make sure they had access to basic necessities throughout the winter months.

Winter Aid in Numbers

The impact of the 2025 Winter Aid response can be seen in three key figures:

27,800 people supported

Across the winter response, 27,800 beneficiaries received support.

These were people living in communities where winter can make existing challenges even harder to manage.

123,000 meals distributed

Food is a vital part of winter relief.

During the 2025 response, 123,000 meals were distributed, helping families meet their basic food needs during a difficult season.

7,905 people received winter essentials

A total of 7,905 individuals received winter essentials, including practical support designed to help people stay warm and protected from the cold.

These figures represent more than distributions. They represent moments of relief for people facing difficult circumstances.

What Did Winter Aid Provide?

Winter support is about more than one type of assistance.

Our 2025 response included the distribution of:

• Blankets
• Heating fuel
• Fuel stoves
• Warm clothing
• Essential food assistance

Each item responded to a different need.

A blanket can provide warmth through a freezing night. Heating fuel can help a family keep their home warm. A fuel stove can help with both heating and preparing food. Warm clothing can help children and adults face the cold outside the home.

Together, these forms of support help families manage the everyday realities of winter with greater safety and dignity.

Reaching Families Where Winter Hits Hardest

Our 2025 Winter Aid response focused on communities where support is often harder to reach.

Some families live in remote areas. Others live in high-altitude communities where temperatures can become particularly severe.

By working across different locations and prioritising neglected communities, our winter response aimed to reach people who might otherwise be left to face the cold with very limited resources.

The response included support in places such as Parachinar in the Kurram District and Sar-e Pol, alongside other vulnerable communities across the region.

Protecting People, Preserving Dignity

Winter aid is not simply about providing supplies.

It is about helping people feel safe in their own homes. It is about protecting children, women, older people and other at-risk households from cold-related illness and helping families meet their basic needs.

Most importantly, it is about dignity.

When a family receives something as practical as warm clothing, food or heating support, they are given more than an item. They are given the reassurance that they have not been forgotten.

Your support helped make that possible last winter.

A Qur’anic Reminder

The Qur’an reminds us of the importance of giving to those in need:

“And they feed the food, despite (their) desire for it, to the poor, the orphan, and the captive.” (Qur’an 76:8)

Giving is not only about what we have to spare. It is about recognising the needs of others and choosing to respond.

Winter is one of those times when that response can make an immediate difference.

Looking Ahead

Seasonal aid continues to save lives year after year.

The Zahra Trust will build on its regional partnerships to expand its outreach and deliver winter relief earlier in the season, helping vulnerable families prepare before the coldest months arrive.

But this work depends on people choosing to give.

Your support can help provide warmth, food and essential assistance to families facing another difficult winter.

Together, we can help make sure vulnerable families do not have to face the cold alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is winter aid?

Winter aid is humanitarian support provided to vulnerable families during the colder months. It can include items such as blankets, heating fuel, fuel stoves, warm clothing and food assistance.

How many people did The Zahra Trust support through winter aid in 2025?

In 2025, The Zahra Trust supported 27,800 beneficiaries through its Winter Aid response.

How many meals were distributed through Winter Aid in 2025?

The Zahra Trust distributed 123,000 meals as part of its 2025 winter response.

How many people received winter essentials?

In 2025, 7,905 individuals received winter essentials through the Winter Aid response.

Where did The Zahra Trust provide winter aid?

Winter relief was provided across Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Yemen and other parts of the Middle East, including support in communities such as Parachinar in the Kurram District and Sar-e Pol.

What can winter aid provide?

Winter aid can include blankets, heating fuel, fuel stoves, warm clothing and essential food assistance, depending on the needs of the community.