An Australian Islamic charity has told SBS News it has seen a spike in requests for financial assistance due to the impacts of coronavirus, with individuals and businesses struggling as they prepare to mark the holy month of Ramadan.
At the Lakemba Travel Centre, in Sydney’s west, a sign on the door reads ‘Closed until further notice’.
The impact of coronavirus is made all the more difficult as Australia’s Muslims prepare to mark the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Thursday. “I expect that this Ramadan there will be a 200 to 300 per cent increase in requests for financial assistance. Ramadan is the month that we fundraise, but no one knows how this Ramadan is going to be.”
“We verified his story with his landlord and paid off his rent so he could get his passport back,” Mr Davids says. “Despite these challenges, we ask the Muslim community to navigate through the holy month of Ramadan with patience and strength and to always keep in mind, the spiritual purpose of this holy time.”
“A lot of money was paid to travel agencies that was paid to airlines and hotels before the pandemic. Now that money is being held by them,” he says.
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