Vatican City: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, has said that the Catholic Church is an important partner in helping refugees around the world. He made the remarks after meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday.
Salih, who took office on January 1, said he wanted to meet the Pope early in his term because of the Church’s strong moral voice and long history of supporting displaced people. He thanked the Pope for his constant concern for refugees and said the support of the Church and faith based organisations is vital for the work of the UN Refugee Agency.
The UNHCR reported that by mid 2025, about 117.3 million people had been forced to flee their homes because of conflict, violence and persecution. Of these, nearly 42.5 million were refugees living outside their home countries.
Salih said he is taking charge at a time of great difficulty, with record levels of displacement and limited funds for humanitarian work. He said his main priorities are to protect refugees, provide emergency help and find long term solutions so people do not spend their lives in camps.
He explained that many refugees remain in camps for five years or more, and sometimes for decades. He recently visited refugee communities in Chad and Kenya, where some families have lived as refugees since 2003, while new arrivals continue to come every day. He said this shows the urgent need to move beyond temporary aid and focus on solutions that allow refugees to live normal lives.
Salih praised countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Chad for adopting more inclusive policies. These countries allow refugees access to schools, health care, jobs and legal services. He said such efforts should be supported with development aid so that host countries benefit and refugees can become active members of society.
On funding, Salih said the United States has recently given two billion dollars to a UN humanitarian fund, which is helpful. However, he warned that resources are still far from enough to meet the growing needs. He said the UN must work harder to attract more support and also improve efficiency so that aid reaches the people who need it most.
He said urgent needs exist in many places, including Sudan and its neighbouring countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela and among the Rohingya refugees who have lived in camps for many years. He stressed that humanitarian aid must go hand in hand with efforts to find lasting solutions that respect human dignity and human rights.
Asked about his biggest concern, Salih said the lack of resources worries him most, especially as new crises continue to appear. He added that peace is the only real solution to the refugee crisis, because people can return home only when there is safety and stability.
He appealed to the international community to take responsibility for protecting displaced people. He said helping refugees is not only a legal duty but also a moral obligation and a test of shared humanity.
Salih also highlighted the role of religious groups. He said Church and faith based organisations have long been active in helping refugees and working with the United Nations. He expressed hope for stronger cooperation with different faith communities, saying that shared values of compassion and care for others can help mobilise more support for people in need.