UNRWA chief urges OIC nations to act as millions of Palestinian refugees face crisis
'I urge you to take action, both politically and financially, to ensure that Palestinian refugees have access to the most basic services,' Lazzarini tells 51st Session of OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul
Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini makes a speech during the 51st Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is convened under the theme, “The OIC in a Transforming World” at Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center in Istanbul, Turkiye, on June 21, 2025.
ISTANBUL / ANKARA
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), on Saturday urged member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to support Palestinian refugees.
"I want to appeal to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its member states. I urge you to take action, both politically and financially, to ensure that Palestinian refugees have access to the most basic services,” Lazzarini told the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC in Istanbul.
“The lives and futures of millions are in your hands," he said.
Lazzarini highlighted that 2 million people in Gaza are being pushed toward starvation.
He also stressed that UNRWA’s financial situation has reached a critical stage and that, without additional funding, the agency will struggle to continue its operations in the region.
Speaking at the session, UN Alliance of Civilizations High Representative Miguel Angel Moratinos said Islamophobia is more than just prejudice; it is a violation of human rights.
It also poses a threat to social cohesion and violates the principles of the UN Charter, he noted.
Moratinos warned that anti-Muslim rhetoric is spreading on social media, and algorithms are amplifying it.
While digital platforms were once thought to be a space for freedom, he believes they have now become a space for hate speech.
