Global Islamic Fund for Refugees Holds First Steering Committee Meeting

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, January 20, 2025 – The Global Islamic Fund for Refugees (GIFR) convened its first Steering Committee meeting, marking the launch of the GIFR operations to provide critical support to refugees from, and those hosted by, IsDB member countries.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), namely Dr. Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Ms. Dominique Hyde, Director of External Relations in UNHCR; the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), represented by Mr. Fahad Al-Osaimi, Director of the Emergency Aid Department; and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with participation from Mr. Syed Husain Quadri, Director of the Resilience & Climate Change Department, and Mr. Abdi Abdullahi, Manager of Fragility & Resilience.

Dr. Hiba Ahmed, Director General of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), chaired the meeting and emphasized the crucial role of UNHCR as the GIFR Co-Founder. She also highlighted the significant expansion of the GIFR partnership with the inclusion of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) as the first “Eligible Donor,” granting KSRelief a well-deserved seat on the Steering Committee.

Dr. Khaled Khalifa, UNHCR Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council, shared an update on the ongoing resource mobilization efforts for the GIFR, outlining plans to attract new donors and potentially expand the Steering Committee membership, fostering a more dynamic and inclusive approach to addressing the needs of refugees.

Mr. Fahad Al-Osaimi, Director of the Emergency Aid Department at KSRelief, expressed strong support for the GIFR initiative, aligning with KSRelief's own core values of humanitarian assistance. He emphasized the significance of KSRelief's established partnerships with IsDB and UNHCR in advancing the GIFR's mission.

Subsequently, Mr. Khemias El Gazzah, Lead Program Management Specialist at ISFD, presented an overview of the GIFR's significant progress since its launch at the 2022 UN General Assembly. Key milestones included the successful completion of critical GIFR documentation and the establishment of robust governance guidelines.

The Steering Committee then reviewed and approved a project proposal for regional emergency assistance to Sudanese refugees in Chad, Egypt, and Libya. This project is in partnership between IsDB, ISFD and UNHCR. It aims to assist approximately 62,000 refugees by focusing on essential interventions in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), healthcare, and education. Recognizing the urgent needs of these vulnerable populations, the Committee allocated US$500,000 from the GIFR's operational budget to support this critical initiative. Dr. Hiba Ahmed highlighted the importance of collaborative funding, emphasizing that the GIFR will play a vital role in attracting co-financing from other donors, leveraging its resources to maximize the collective impact on the lives of refugees.