Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, is the second annual Muslim holiday where the faithful are mandated to engage in charitable acts. Charity organizations in Turkey use the occasion for the special delivery of humanitarian aid across the country as well as the world.

This year, they will travel to about 80 countries to disperse the donations they collected to disadvantaged communities. The most common aid is meat from animals sacrificed during Qurban Bayram, which is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. In exchange for cash donations, charities buy and slaughter animals to distribute the meat, either abroad or in Turkey.

The Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH) will sacrifice animals in 60 countries and donate their meat, while the Turkish Diyanet Foundation (TDV) seeks to reach more than 25 million people in 80 countries.

The Federation of the Associations that Value Humanity (IDDEF) will be active in 40 countries, from Africa and Asia to the Middle East and the Balkans. The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) will reach some 4 million people in Turkey and 50 locations abroad. It stands out among other charities as it also provides canned meat, derived from animals slaughtered in Turkey, to households in need year-round and since its meat deliveries will be immediate abroad.

The Deniz Feneri Association will distribute meat within Turkey, as well as in Afghanistan, Bangladesh (with aid focusing on the Rohingya Muslim refugees there), Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo and Zimbabwe. The Cansuyu Association will deliver aid in African and Asian countries as well as to refugee camps housing Rohingya Muslims, Palestinian refugee camps, the Gaza Strip and Yemen. Yardımeli Association will be active in 21 locations abroad, from Africa to the Middle East.

The Sadakataşı Association will be active in some 35 countries, from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to Spain.

Doctors Worldwide Turkey will deliver aid in 15 countries, from Afghanistan to Chad and Yemen, and aims to reach some 500,000 people.

The aid may be temporary relief amid a global food crisis, but it is more vital than ever this year. Up to 345 million people are facing food insecurity in 82 countries, more than twice the level seen before the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported last month. The figure represents an increase of more than 200 million people since before the pandemic, the Rome-based U.N. body said. "There is a very real risk that global food and nutrition needs may soon outstrip WFP's – or any organization's – ability to respond," it said.

Pointing to Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and Afghanistan, the WFP said when combined, "these figures tell an alarming story: the world is in the midst of a global food crisis, the largest in recent history."

It said that in response, the WFP was declaring a global emergency to prevent famine and death.

The U.N. agency said it was aiming to support a record 151.6 million people in 2022, up from 128 million reached in 2021, itself a record. Its global funding forecast would provide less than half the annual operational requirement of $22.2 billion, it said. "WFP is facing a triple jeopardy: operational costs are going up, the numbers of the acutely hungry are rising to unprecedented levels, and yet funding for humanitarian operations is dwindling," it said. A shortage of exports from the major grain producers of Russia and Ukraine has been driving prices up, while the war has also disrupted agricultural production in Ukraine. The WFP pointed to Russia’s role as a major fertilizer producer and energy supplier. And it noted that certain food-producing countries were limiting or banning exports in order to stabilize domestic prices.

Qurban Bayram commemorates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son at Allah’s command. The Prophet Abraham, who is known as Ibrahim in the Islamic world, had made a vow that if he had a son, he would sacrifice him for the sake of Allah. After having a son, the prophet was reminded of this vow through a dream. Both Abraham and his son were willing to keep the promise. The prophet placed his son on an altar and took a knife to sacrifice him, although Satan tried to hinder them. However, an angel appeared and told Abraham to spare his son. They were rewarded as they showed their loyalty to Allah. A ram was sent to him from heaven, and the prophet sacrificed the ram instead of his son.

While cooking some parts of the sacrificed ram, Abraham and his family also distributed the meat to the poor. This is why Muslims traditionally sacrifice animals during Qurban Bayram and why this festival is also called the Feast of Sacrifice. Qurban Bayram is a time of aid and charity. According to Islam, Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth should help the needy through almsgiving called "zakat." One of the most appropriate times for this monetary help is the Day of Arafah, or the first day of bayram, until the Eid prayer. Those who could sacrifice an animal during the bayram are obliged to share it with the poor.