Jeddah: On June 20th each year, the world celebrates World Refugee Day, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2000. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, voiced his solidarity and support for refugees. He emphasized the significance of giving this vulnerable group’s humanitarian needs top priority since they have been compelled to flee their homes because of wars, conflicts, and natural disasters. He said the OIC’s humanitarian agenda acknowledges the unique circumstances of refugees and tries to give them the support they need.
According to the UN estimate, 89.3 million people have had to leave their homes in the world. Nearly 27.1 million of them are refugees, with about 41% of them being under the age of 18. Iran is host to 840,000 refugees, 820,000 of whom come from Afghanistan, and Ethiopia hosts over 867,000 refugees.
In Bangladesh, all of the 929,000 refugees are stateless Rohingya, who began seeking asylum en masse in 2017 after violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. In that time, the city of Cox’s Bazar has become home to the world’s largest refugee camp. Of the 1.21 million refugees currently living in Poland, 1.20 million are from Ukraine. Pakistan’s refugee population of 1,539,554 million refugees is almost entirely from Afghanistan: 1,539,046. Many have lived in the country for decades, initially fleeing the decade-long Soviet-Afghan War.
Over 3.67 million refugees are currently being hosted in Türkiye. The majority 3.64 million are “Syrians under temporary protection.”
He expressed his appreciation and respect for the OIC Member States for their humanitarian efforts in helping those who were displaced find refuge. He emphasized that, in accordance with
Islamic teachings, the OIC Charter, and pertinent national and international regulations, assisting and protecting refugees is both a humanitarian and Islamic duty. The Secretary-General emphasized the value of creating equitable cooperation and pleaded with the international community to assist these Member States. He also stated that OIC Member States currently hosts more than half of the world’s refugees, making them responsible for the largest proportion of the global refugee burden. The Secretary-General recognized that some of these Member States might serve as a refugee-producing country, a hub for refuge.
To properly aid this vulnerable group, Brahim Taha emphasized the significance of tackling the root causes of the refugee issue in the Islamic world. He recognized the General Secretariat’s ongoing efforts, along with those of partners and organizations from around the world, including the UNHCR, to find long-term solutions and facilitate the voluntary, safe, and respectable return of refugees in accordance with established international conventions and protocols.
The Secretary-General expressed great admiration for the crucial and significant contributions made by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in bringing relief to the Palestinian refugees. The Secretary-General further urged the international community, the UN, and the OIC Member States to keep supporting the UNRWA in its mission to provide essential services to the Palestinian refugees until their right to return is achieved by the resolutions of international legitimacy.
COMMENTS