RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa recently met UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Riyadh.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the third Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, which addresses humanitarian challenges and seeks innovative solutions in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
During the meeting, Al-Issa and Grandi discussed strengthening the mechanisms of cooperation between the MWL and the UNHCR to mobilize global support for refugees and displaced people.
They also discussed raising awareness of the suffering of the displaced and the human and moral duty to stand with refugees in difficult circumstances.
Al-Issa stressed the importance of the UNHCR’s efforts in serving refugees and displaced people worldwide, especially in light of successive global crises that have exacerbated their suffering.
Grandi praised the MWL’s support of the UNHCR’s efforts in serving refugees, and the various initiatives the league has presented to support the needs of the displaced in host communities. He noted the importance of the long and close partnership that brings the two sides together.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of the fatwa issued by the league’s International Islamic Fiqh Academy, permitting the payment of zakat to refugees through the UNHCR, and the difference this support has made in the lives of millions of people around the world.
Al-Issa and Grandi also discussed activating programs for refugee integration into social and economic life, and facilitating access to basic services and job opportunities.
The creation of future initiatives to develop the partnership between the MWL and UNHCR was also discussed.
