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Date: 20/12/2018
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held a meeting of an Experts Committee of the OIC Member States to discuss the draft Statute of the Waqf Fund for Support of the Palestinian Refugees at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on Wednesday, 19 December 2018.
H.E. Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, the OIC Secretary General, stated that the meeting comes in light of the worsening financial crisis of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and its impact on the humanitarian, social, and economic situation of the Palestinian refugees, especially after the United States suspended its contributions. He warned that such an act would reduce or halt many vital educational and health services provided to more than 5 million Palestinian refugees.
In his statement delivered by Amb. Samir Bakr Diab, the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs, Al-Othaimeen indicated that the serious developments in the refugee issue and challenges encountered by UNRWA remains a top concern for the OIC and is raised in all meetings and contacts with international leaders and senior officials.
The OIC Secretary General commended the generous contributions of some Member States to bridge the UNRWA financial deficit this year, and called on Member States to mobilize more funding to ensure that UNRWA continue its indispensable activities.
Al-Othaimeen called on the international community to fulfill its historic, political, legal, and humanitarian responsibilities in order to find a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue pursuant to the UN General Assembly Resolution No. 194.
On his part, Dr. Nazrul Islam, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the OIC, thanked the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for presenting the draft Statute of the Waqf Fund stressing that the OIC is well aware of the suffering of the Palestinian people.
He added that the meeting convened according to the directives of the 45th Session of the Conference of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Dhaka last May noting that the outcome of the meeting will be submitted to the 46th CFM Session scheduled in Abu Dhabi next March.
Document Sources: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Subject: Assistance, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 20/12/2018
URL source: https://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=20422&t_ref=11638&lan=en