On the occasion of World Refugee Day—observed one month after the commemoration of the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba—and in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression marked by genocide, grave violations of international law and international humanitarian law, the deliberate use of starvation and scorched earth tactics as instruments of warfare, and the suspension of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which has now been declared a famine zone, the representatives of the Arab Regional Consultative Process on Migration and Asylum reaffirm the positions adopted in the resolutions of the Council of the League of Arab States at both the summit and ministerial levels.
These include, most recently, the statement issued by the Extraordinary Arab Summit—the "Palestine Summit"—held in Cairo on 4 March 2025, and the resolutions of the 163rd ordinary session of the Council of the League at the Ministerial Level, held on 23 April 2025. The representatives reiterate that the issue of Palestinian refugees remains at the heart of the Palestinian cause and categorically reject all forms of displacement of the Palestinian people, whether within or beyond their homeland. They strongly condemn the Israeli decisions to block the entry of humanitarian aid and to close the crossings used for relief operations.
They further assert the indispensable role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the need to provide it with sustained financial, political, and legal support to enable it to fulfil its mandate, as outlined in UN General Assembly Resolution 302 (1949), across its five areas of operation. They firmly reject any efforts or measures aimed at undermining, abolishing, replacing, or altering the Agency's role, viewing such actions as part of a systematic strategy to liquidate the Palestinian refugee issue.
The representatives call on the international community to continue providing sustained and adequate support to UNRWA to allow it to carry out its full responsibilities towards Palestinian refugees and to prevent the collapse of its vital services—until the suffering of the refugees is brought to an end and they are able to fully exercise their individual and collective rights, particularly their right to return to their homes and receive just reparations.
They also express deep concern over the critical funding shortfalls faced by humanitarian organisations and UN agencies working with refugees, which have severely affected their ability to deliver essential services. This persistent deficit places the lives of refugees and displaced persons at grave risk, threatens the effectiveness of humanitarian responses in crisis settings, and portends dire consequences for the future of refugees, displaced persons, and the communities and countries hosting them.
