🇯🇴 Jordan - King Addresses United Nations General Debate, 78th Session | #UNGA

Summary

King Abdullah II of Jordan addresses the UN General Assembly, highlighting the plight of over 345 million people facing food insecurity and 108 million refugees, including 40% children. He emphasizes Jordan's efforts to support refugees, the urgent need for international solidarity, and the necessity of resolving the Syrian crisis and Palestinian-Israeli conflict for regional stability. The King calls for sustainable funding for UNRWA and a political solution to prevent a lost generation.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The global food insecurity crisis affects over 345 million people, with 108 million being refugees.
• 👶 40% of refugees are children, who are among the most vulnerable and defenseless.
• 🏠 Refugees are looking to countries for help to end the crises that have displaced them.
• 📉 Funding shortfalls have forced UN agencies to cut support to refugees.
• 🇯🇴 In Jordan, over one-third of the population are refugees, with significant impacts from funding cuts.
• 💧 Jordan, already water-poor, is sharing its limited resources to support refugees.
• 🌍 The humanitarian crisis is a global issue, not confined to one country or region.
• 🔄 The ongoing Syrian crisis is causing more people to leave the country, straining host countries like Jordan.
• 🏛️ A political solution to the Syrian crisis is needed, following UN Security Council resolution 2254.
• 🕋️ The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a central issue in the Middle East that needs resolution for regional stability.
• 🏢 The two-state solution is essential for lasting peace, with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Q & A

Who is addressing the assembly in the transcript?

His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, the second, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

What is the main issue discussed by King Abdullah II in his address?

The main issue discussed is the global refugee crisis, particularly focusing on the plight of refugees and the challenges faced by countries like Jordan in hosting them.

How many people are estimated to face food insecurity, daily hunger, or starvation worldwide according to the transcript?

According to the transcript, over 345 million people face food insecurity, daily hunger, or starvation.

What percentage of the refugees mentioned are children?

40 percent of the refugees mentioned are children.

What is the demographic composition of the refugees in Jordan as stated by King Abdullah II?

In Jordan, refugees make up over one-third of the 11 million population, and nearly half of the almost 1.4 million Syrians hosted are under 18 years of age.

What is the impact of the shortfall in international funds on refugee support as mentioned in the address?

The shortfall in international funds has forced multiple U.N. agencies to cut support, leading to uncertainty and hardship for hundreds of thousands of refugees.

What is the role of Jordan in addressing the refugee crisis as described by King Abdullah II?

Jordan has been providing a dignified life for refugees, sharing its precious resources to help them meet basic needs such as food, energy, and water, despite being among the water-poorest countries in the world.

What additional crisis is affecting Jordan and the region according to the transcript?

Climate change, with its destructive heat waves, drought, and flooding, is an additional crisis affecting Jordan and the region.

What is the proposed solution by Jordan for the Syrian refugee crisis as mentioned in the address?

The proposed solution by Jordan is a step-by-step approach that offers a path forward, engaging with the Syrian government and coordinated with the UN, setting a roadmap to incrementally resolve the crisis.

What is the central issue in the Middle East according to King Abdullah II?

The central issue in the Middle East, according to King Abdullah II, is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

What is the importance of education for Palestinian refugees as highlighted in the address?

Education is highlighted as crucial for protecting families, keeping communities stable, and preparing young Palestinians for productive lives, preventing them from falling prey to extremists.

Outlines

00:00

👑 Welcoming King Abdullah II of Jordan

The assembly is addressed by King Abdullah II of Jordan, where he begins his speech with 'Bismillah' and acknowledges the global issue of human catastrophes. He highlights the critical statistic of 345 million people facing food insecurity and 108 million refugees, of which 40% are children. The King emphasizes that these statistics do not fully convey the human tragedy and failure of the international community to adequately address the refugee crisis. He describes refugees as people in desperate need of help, reliant on international agencies that are now cutting support due to funding shortfalls. He warns that such cuts lead to negative consequences for refugees, including children being forced to work instead of attending school. Jordan, which hosts a significant refugee population, is struggling to meet the demand for essential resources like food, water, and energy, while also facing climate challenges.

05:00

⚠️ Jordan Reaches Its Limits in Refugee Support

King Abdullah II underscores the growing strain on Jordan’s capacity to support refugees, stating that the country has surpassed its limits. He stresses that Syrian refugees’ future lies in Syria, not in host countries, but acknowledges that refugees are not yet able to return. More Syrians are likely to flee as the crisis persists, and Jordan cannot accommodate additional refugees. The King calls for a political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and highlights Jordan’s proposed step-by-step approach to engage with the Syrian government. He also touches on the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on Jordan's national security, warning of potential future threats if the situation is not resolved.

10:02

🕊️ Palestinian-Israeli Conflict as a Central Issue

King Abdullah II points out that Jordan’s challenges reflect those of the entire region, where development is hindered by repeated crises. He identifies the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as the central issue in the Middle East and questions how global security and development can be achieved without resolving this longstanding conflict. He argues that without clarity on the future of the Palestinian people, no political solution can be reached. The King condemns the ongoing occupation, settlement building, and land confiscations, which have resulted in the deadliest year for Palestinians in the last 15 years. He calls for global solidarity and the fulfillment of UN resolutions to ensure justice and peace for Palestinians.

🌍 Jerusalem and the Urgency of Supporting Palestinian Refugees

Jerusalem, under Hashemite custodianship, is a focal point of concern for King Abdullah II, who reiterates Jordan’s commitment to safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites. He emphasizes the responsibility of the international community to preserve Jerusalem as a city of faith and peace for Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The King calls for sustainable funding for UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, to ensure that families remain stable, and children receive education rather than falling prey to extremism. He warns of the consequences of neglecting young Palestinians, urging continued support to prevent them from turning to radicalism and extremism.

🤝 A Call for Global Solidarity

In conclusion, King Abdullah II stresses the importance of international collaboration in addressing global challenges such as conflict, displacement, hunger, and climate change. He reminds the assembly that these issues are not just statistics, but involve real human beings. The King calls for the restoration of global trust through solidarity and action, urging the world not to allow a lost generation to emerge. He concludes by affirming Jordan’s commitment to working with the global community to create a future where all people can thrive and live in peace.

Keywords

💡Refugees

Refugees are individuals who have been forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence. In the context of the video, King Abdullah II highlights the plight of over 108 million refugees worldwide, emphasizing their vulnerability and the need for international support. The script mentions that 40% of these refugees are children, illustrating the scale of the humanitarian crisis and the urgency to address their needs.

💡Food Insecurity

Food insecurity refers to the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The video addresses the issue of food insecurity affecting over 345 million people globally, which is a critical aspect of the humanitarian crisis. It ties into the broader theme of the video by underscoring the challenges faced by refugees and displaced populations who are struggling with daily hunger or starvation.

💡Displaced Persons

Displaced persons are individuals who have been forced to leave their homes but have not crossed national borders. This term is closely related to refugees but includes those who are internally displaced within their own country. The video does not explicitly use this term, but it is implicitly included in the discussion of refugees and the broader context of people forced to leave their homes due to crises.

💡Humanitarian Shortfalls

Humanitarian shortfalls refer to the gaps in resources and support needed to address humanitarian crises. The video discusses how a severe shortfall in international funds has forced aid agencies to cut support for refugees, leading to increased vulnerability and hardship. This concept is central to the video's message about the need for sustained international commitment to support those in need.

💡International Community

The international community encompasses the collective of nations and global organizations that work together to address global issues. In the video, King Abdullah II calls upon the international community to take responsibility for the well-being of refugees and to find political solutions to crises. The term is used to emphasize the shared global responsibility in addressing humanitarian crises and the importance of international cooperation.

💡Climate Change

Climate change refers to the long-term shifts in global temperature and weather patterns. The video mentions climate change as an additional crisis impacting the region, causing destructive heat waves, drought, and flooding. This highlights the interconnectedness of environmental issues with humanitarian crises and the need for comprehensive solutions that address both.

💡Resource Management

Resource management involves the careful allocation and use of resources to meet needs and achieve goals. The video discusses how Jordan has been managing its limited resources, such as water, to support refugees. This concept is crucial to understanding the challenges faced by host countries in providing for the basic needs of refugees while also managing their own resources sustainably.

💡Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a long-standing dispute between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. The video identifies this conflict as a central issue affecting regional security and development. King Abdullah II emphasizes the need for a resolution that ensures equal rights and a future of peace, dignity, and hope for both Israelis and Palestinians, underscoring the importance of this conflict in the broader geopolitical context.

💡Two-State Solution

The two-state solution is a political solution proposed to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by creating separate Israeli and Palestinian states. The video advocates for this solution as the path to lasting peace, with the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. This concept is integral to the video's message about the need for a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict.

💡Global Solidarity

Global solidarity refers to the unity and cooperation among nations to address global challenges collectively. The video calls for global solidarity to tackle the root causes of conflicts and crises, rebuild trust in international action, and support those in need. This term encapsulates the video's overarching theme of the need for collective action and shared responsibility in addressing humanitarian crises and global challenges.

💡Lost Generation

A lost generation is a term used to describe a group of people who have been denied the opportunity to develop and contribute to society due to circumstances beyond their control, such as war or economic depression. In the video, King Abdullah II warns against allowing a lost generation to emerge as a result of the failure to address the needs of refugees and displaced persons. This concept underscores the urgency and long-term implications of the humanitarian crisis discussed in the video.

Highlights

King Abdullah II addresses the General Assembly on the global refugee crisis.

345 million people face food insecurity, daily hunger, or starvation worldwide.

108 million refugees are forcibly displaced, with 40% being children.

Refugees are our brothers and sisters looking to our countries for help.

Refugees are mothers, fathers, and grandparents making perilous journeys to save their families.

Young refugees with big dreams depend on the international community for survival.

U.N agencies are delivering difficult news due to a severe shortfall in international funds.

In Jordan, refugees make up over one-third of the population.

Cuts in support have thrown the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees into uncertainty.

The impact of humanitarian shortfalls is never limited to a country or a region.

Jordanians are serious about their duty to those in need and have hosted nearly 1.4 million Syrians.

Jordan is sharing precious resources like food, energy, and water with refugees.

Jordan's capacity to deliver necessary services to refugees has surpassed its limits.

A political solution consistent with U.N Security Council resolution 2254 is needed.

Jordan proposes a step-by-step approach to resolve the Syrian crisis.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the central issue in the Middle East.

Five million Palestinians live under occupation with no civil rights or freedom of mobility.

The two-state solution is the only path to a comprehensive and lasting peace.

The international community must ensure that U.N resolutions are believable to those in need.

Sustainable funding is urgently needed by UNRWA for Palestinian refugees.

We must protect young Palestinians from extremists and ensure they continue to learn.

We cannot allow for a Lost Generation on our watch.

Transcripts

the assembly will hear an address by his

majesty King Abdullah II

bin al-husin

the second

King of the hashemite kingdom of Jordan

I request protocol to escort his majesty

[Applause]

on behalf of the general assembly I have

the honor to welcome his majesty King

Abdullah II

King of the hashemite kingdom of Jordan

and to invite him to address the

assembly

Bismillah

Mr President

Secretary General excellencies

when human catastrophes seem Beyond

description

we turn to the appalling statistics

this year around the world

more than 345 million people

face food insecurity

daily hunger or starvation

among the most vulnerable

are 108 million refugees

people who have been forcibly displaced

from their homes

and ways of life

and 40 percent

of these refugees are children

the most defenseless

of all

get these numbers

cannot really convey the tragedy

or the failure

refugees are our brothers our sisters

they look to our countries

to help end the crises that have driven

them

from home

refugees are mothers fathers

grandparents

who have made perilous Journeys

to save their families

they are young people

with Big Dreams

and little children

who deserve the chance to dream big

they depend

on the International Community

for their survival

and multiple U.N agencies provide vital

services to help meet the need

but in recent months

one by one these agencies have been

delivering difficult news

a severe shortfall

in international funds has forced them

to cut support

is this what we've come to

is the International Community going to

watch as Refugee families find

themselves forced to send their children

to work

instead of school

in Jordan where refugees make up over

one-third of our 11 million population

Cuts have already thrown the lives of

hundreds of thousands

of refugees into uncertainty

the impact

of such humanitarian shortfalls

is never limited to a country

or a region

fear and want

bring on Sharp increases in the number

of refugees fleeing to Europe and Beyond

on Journeys that too often

and in tragedy

my friends jordanians are serious about

our duty

to those in need

we have done everything we can to secure

a dignified life for refugees

nearly half

of the almost 1.4 million syrians we

host

are under 18 years of age

for many of them

Jordan is the only place they have ever

known

over 230 000 Syrian children

have been born in Jordan since 2000. and

11.

we are sharing precious resources to

help them meet basic needs

food energy

and especially water

we are among the water poorest countries

in the world

even as our water supplies face

extraordinary demand

and we Face these pressures just with

another crisis has hit our region

climate change

with its destructive heat waves drought

and flooding

and to meet the refugee burden

we have been carefully managing to

combine our limited resources

with essential support from the

International Community

because the responsibility to act

falls on everybody's shoulders

because the world cannot afford to walk

away and leave a Lost Generation behind

but today

Jordan's capacity to deliver necessary

services

to refugees have surpassed our limits

Syrian refugees future is in their

country

not in host countries

but until they are able

to return

we must all do right

by them

and the fact is

refugees are far from returning

on the contrary more syrians are likely

to leave their country as the crisis

persists

and Jordan will not have the ability nor

the resources to host and care for more

we must find a political solution

consistent with U.N security Council

resolution 2254.

the step-by-step approach that offers a

path forward

proposed by Jordan as the basis for

engagement

with the Syrian government and

coordinated with the UN this approach

sets a road map to incrementally resolve

the crisis and deal

with all its consequences

until then

we will protect our country

against any future threats the crisis

could pose

to our national security

my friends Jordan's case is a microcosm

of our entire region

for all our peoples immense potential

repeated crises have held back the

Promise of Greater development and

prosperity

our region

is a focal point where some of the most

urgent Global challenges

are converging

how will our world respond

will we come together in global

solidarity to get to the root of the

problem

the conflicts and the crises that

destroy life and Hope

will we work as one

to rebuild the Lost Trust

in international action and help those

in want

my friends our region

will continue to suffer until the world

helps lift the shadow

of the palestinian-israeli conflict the

central issue in the Middle East

no architecture for regional security

and development

can stand over the burning ashes

of this conflict

but seven and a half decades on it's

still smolders

where are we going

without Clarity on where Palestinians

future lies

it will be impossible to converge on a

political solution

to this conflict

five million Palestinians live under

occupation

no civil rights

no freedoms of Mobility

no say in their lives

yet every U.N resolution since the

beginning of this conflict

recognizes the equal rights of the

Palestinian people to a future of Peace

dignity and Hope

[Applause]

this is the heart of the two-state

solution

the only path to a comprehensive lasting

peace

we can see the Israeli people actively

defending and engaging in the expression

of their national identity

yet the Palestinian people

are deprived of that same right to

express and fulfill their own national

identity

the basic requirement for that right

is the establishment of their own

independent and viable State on the 4th

June 4th 1967 lions

with East Jerusalem

as its capital

living alongside Israel in peace

security and prosperity

and delaying Justice and peace

has brought endless cycles of violence

2023 has been the deadliest for the

Palestinian people in the past 15 years

how can people trust in global Justice

while settlement building land

confiscations and home demolitions

continue

where is the global solidarity to make

U.N resolutions believable

by people in need of our help

Jerusalem

is a fast point

for Global concern

under the hashemite custodianship of

Islamic and Christian holy sites Jordan

remains committed to safeguarding the

city's identity

but preserving Jerusalem

as the city of faith and peace for Islam

Christianity and Judaism

is a responsibility

that we all share

and we must not abandon Palestinian

refugees to the forces of despair

sustainable funding is urgently needed

by anua the U.N agency that provides

vital relief education and Health

Services to millions of Palestinian

refugees

and this is essential to protect

families keep communities stable

and prepare young people

for productive lives

we must protect young Palestinians from

extremists who prey on their

frustrations and hopelessness

by making sure they continue to learn at

the schools under the blue flag of the

United Nations as the alternative

will be the black flags of Terror hate

and extremism

my friends we come together

here as partners to deal with our

challenges and shape a better future

we speak here for our people we speak

for families and the younger Generations

we speak for victims

of conflict displacement hunger

climate challenge

disasters and more

they are not mere statistics

they are our fellow human beings

sharing our world

only by restoring trust only by acting

in solidarity

where we create the future

all our people's desire

and deserve

we cannot allow for a Lost Generation

on our watch

thank you

I wish to thank

the king of the hashemite kingdom of

Jordan for the statement just made and I

request protocol to escort his majesty