King delivers keynote address at Global Refugee Forum in Geneva

• His Majesty says Jordan is pushing for more coordinated humanitarian response in Gaza
• King warns of waning international attention to ongoing refugee crisis

GENEVA — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday delivered the keynote address at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, co-convened by Jordan, Colombia, France, Japan and Uganda, and co-hosted by Switzerland and UNHCR.

His Majesty warned of the waning international attention to the ongoing refugee crisis.

“As serious crises compete for international attention, the plight of refugees and their host countries has taken a backseat. But this is a lapse that the international community can ill afford,” the King said.

 “And now, as we speak, we find ourselves dealing with another internal displacement crisis in the region. Over 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom are themselves refugees, have been forced to flee their homes amid a relentless bombing campaign,” His Majesty said.

“With all eyes on Gaza, the international community must recognise, more than ever, that band-aid solutions are no longer feasible, and that global crises demand long-term responsibility-sharing,” the King added.

His Majesty said Jordan is pushing for a more coordinated humanitarian response in Gaza, and supporting the Palestinians and UNRWA “in any way we can”. (See full speech on page 4)

 “But our country is still bearing the heavy costs and burdens of the refugee communities in our midst,” the King added, urging the international community not to leave the most vulnerable behind.

The King said that Jordan is home to nearly 4 million refugees of different nationalities, including almost 1.4 million Syrians. “All in all, this is over a third of our 11 million population.”

“In an increasingly volatile region, welcoming refugees has become an indelible part of Jordan’s national identity. We cannot turn our backs on refugees, because that is who we are,” the King noted.

“But Jordanians have been increasingly feeling that the world is turning its backs on them, as refugee hosts,” His Majesty said, adding that the international funding to Jordan’s response plan for the Syrian refugee crisis has been steadily declining. “So far this year, we only received around 22 per cent of the response plan’s needs — the lowest level ever.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan and Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Walid Obeidat attended the forum’s plenary session.

His Majesty returned to Jordan on Wednesday after the working visit to Madrid and Geneva.