95th meeting of the Standing Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – Regional Update on UNHCR operations in the Middle East and North Africa

Mr. Chair,

My Delegation would like to thank the Regional Director for her update on the UNHCR operations in the Middle East and North Africa. The Holy See is following the war in the Middle East with deep concern. As Pope Leo XIV affirmed, “We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many defenseless people who are victims of these conflicts. What hurts them hurts all of humanity. The death and pain caused by these wars is a scandal for the entire human family and a cry that rises to God!”[1]  

Tragically, while humanitarian needs are dramatically increasing, the resources allocated to providing assistance are shrinking. The stark disproportion between the resources allocated to weapons and war, and those devoted to serving of life, further exacerbates the sufferings of the millions deprived of adequate protection, assistance and prospects for a dignified future. Furthermore, as the vast majority of refugees is hosted by developing countries, the international community must renew its commitment to solidarity, by providing predictable funding and increased opportunities for resettlement and complementary pathways.

Mr. Chair,

Forced displacement is never an anonymous phenomenon. Refugees are not just statistics to be managed; they are individuals, men and women, boys and girls, each with a name, a face and a story. Yet in too many places, entire generations have experienced nothing but war, displacement and uncertainty. Children grow up in camps, baring the physical and emotional scars of conflict. They are deprived of stable family environments, education and even the simple joy of play. How can these future adults hope to dream of — let alone build — a better world when they only thing they have ever known is the horror of war? The Holy See welcomes the UNHCR’s efforts to link humanitarian assistance with development and peacebuilding in close cooperation with States and local actors. Faith-inspired organizations, including many Catholic institutions, can contribute specifically by promoting reconciliation, peaceful coexistence and a culture of solidarity and fraternity.

Mr. Chair,

In light of the resurgence of conflicts and their dramatic humanitarian implications, it is imperative to address the root causes forcing people to flee. War and violence are never inevitable; they always stem from policies and decisions that lead to terrible consequences such as death, injury, destruction and sorrow.

The Holy See therefore calls for an end to the use of hateful and vengeful language and to engage in sincere dialogue, with the aim at finding just and lasting solutions. “Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.”[2]

My Delegation therefore wishes to echo Pope Leo’s heartfelt appeal to all parties involved in the ongoing conflicts “to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm. May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld.”[3]

Thank you.