Pledges at a donor conference held in Jeddah this weekend to support displaced people and refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad region exceeded $1.1 billion, including in-kind contributions from over ten donor countries, agencies, and organizations, reported the Saudi News Agency SPA.
These contributions reflect a commitment to the values of giving and solidarity and play a crucial role in enabling humanitarian organizations to provide essential assistance, promoting security and prosperity for those affected, said Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, at the conclusion of the conference.
The conference was organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in coordination with the KSrelief, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in implementation of the decision of the 49th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.
This donor conference, reflecting effective solidarity between the OIC and its external partners, was meant to provide a joint response to the urgent challenges linked to the severe crisis of displaced people and refugees in a region heavily affected by insecurity, climate change, and multiple disruptions.
The conference sought to mobilize resources for humanitarian and development initiatives targeting affected populations, including IDPs and refugees, with a particular focus on coordinated UN humanitarian response plans, in addition to raising awareness and responding to this multifaceted crisis by building strong partnerships to enhance the efficiency of humanitarian response and greater support for long-term solutions.
The conference featured a high-level panel on humanitarian challenges in the Sahel region and the Lake Chad Basin, with the participation of prominent figures such as Joyce Msuya, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Raouf Mazou; UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations; as well as Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor to the Saudi Royal Cabinet and Supervisor of KSrelief; Zubaida Umar, Director General of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); and a representative of the European Union.