On 19 August 2025, the OIC marked the World Humanitarian Day at the General Secretariat head office in Jeddah with the participation of regional and international partners, foremost the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
The event aimed to shed light on the joint relief efforts geared toward those in need and to step up active partnerships between regional and international organizations in the face of crises and disasters around the globe.
In his opening address, H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, OIC Secretary-General, underscored the OIC commitment to the values of compassion and solidarity championed by Islam. He pointed out that the Department for Humanitarian Affairs at the OIC was created to promote Islamic solidarity, coordinate efforts to face crises, and preserve human dignity in the affected areas.
He added that humanitarian action is a collective responsibility and that international cooperation can save lives and build a fairer future for the peoples of the Muslim Ummah and the collective humanity.
In her address, Dr. Aishah Shami Alayafi, Director of Humanitarian Affairs at the OIC, added that humanitarian action can only succeed through joint cooperation and coordination between the member states, international organizations, humanitarian foundations, the private sector, and civil society.
She stressed that the OIC has been forging and promoting strategic partnerships with leading entities like the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and the Islamic Solidarity Fund, as well as close cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, providing effective and transparent aid delivery to the beneficiaries.
On his part, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Saudi Royal Court and General Supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, emphasized, in his recorded address, that the world humanitarian challenges are increasing in all forms to the extent that humanitarian action is no longer a choice, but a must. He pointed out that the number of the displaced persons worldwide has reached more than 122 million by April 2025.
He highlighted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to deliver on its humanitarian role via the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre in terms of delivering aid to the disaster-stricken and affected communities around the world in cooperation with the OIC, the UN bodies, and the active actors in the field.
This has helped save millions of lives in 108 countries. The humanitarian and development assistance provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the world’s countries totaled $141 billion, of which $124 billion went to the OIC member states, chief among them the Gaza Strip. He stressed that Gaza will remain a top priority for the Kingdom.
Ms. Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, expressed her appreciation for the cooperation between the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the OIC in advancing humanitarian action across the world.
She pointed out that the theme of the event this year, “from awareness to accountability,” urges bold and concrete steps to uphold international humanitarian law and to protect the humanitarian space. She stressed that the protection of humanitarian workers goes hand in hand with the protection of civilians.
The event’s agenda included speeches by Ms. Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Othman BELBEISI, Regional Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Muhammad Suleiman Aba Al-Khail, Executive Director of the Islamic Solidarity Fund and the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), along with visual presentations and a short film documenting the OIC efforts and its partners in the humanitarian field.
