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Azerbaijan to Open Representative Office in Ramallah

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, with Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov (dpa)
The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, with Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov (dpa)
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Azerbaijan to Open Representative Office in Ramallah

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, with Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov (dpa)
The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, with Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov (dpa)

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, sent a letter to the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, confirming his country's desire to boost bilateral ties and open a representative office soon, according to sources in the Palestinian presidency.

The message was delivered by Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who was at the Palestinian presidency in Ramallah on Thursday.

The sources said that Abbas briefed Bayramov and his accompanying delegation on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, especially since Azerbaijan heads the Non-Aligned Movement.

The President referred to Palestine's keenness to boost the solid historical relations with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan recognizes the State of Palestine, which has an embassy in Baku.

The Foreign Minister conveyed the greetings of Aliyev, stressing his country's desire to improve brotherly ties.

Baku will soon open its representative office in Palestine, provide 25 scholarships for Palestinian students, and build a school in Nablus with Azeri funding.

Before concluding his visit to the region, Bayramov laid a wreath at the tomb of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and visited his museum.

The Director General of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, Ahmed Suboh, and the director of the Yasser Arafat Museum, Mohammad Halayqa, briefed the Azerbaijani Minister and his accompanying delegation on the details of the shows at the museum.

Bayramov asserted the close historical ties between Azerbaijan and Palestine, lauding the efforts of Arafat in consolidating them.

Earlier, Bayramov opened an Azeri embassy in Tel Aviv and met with several Israeli officials, led by President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

He confirmed that Israeli-Azeri relations had moved to the highest cooperation and strategic and security partnership stages.

Netanyahu stressed that there are common regional challenges between Israel and Azerbaijan in light of the regional security challenges and Iran's threat to regional stability.

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UNHCR Praises Saudi Support Amid Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center distributes food aid in the city of Umm Rawaba, North Kordofan State, Sudan (SPA)
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center distributes food aid in the city of Umm Rawaba, North Kordofan State, Sudan (SPA)
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UNHCR Praises Saudi Support Amid Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center distributes food aid in the city of Umm Rawaba, North Kordofan State, Sudan (SPA)
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center distributes food aid in the city of Umm Rawaba, North Kordofan State, Sudan (SPA)

A senior United Nations official has described the ongoing crisis in Sudan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies, yet also among the least funded. Less than 18 percent of the $1.8 billion needed to support relief operations in 2025 has been secured.

Mamadou Dian Balde, Regional Director of the UNHCR for East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes, and the agency’s regional refugee coordinator for Sudan, stressed the importance of Saudi Arabia’s continued support.

He noted that the Kingdom’s contribution remains vital to maintaining life-saving aid, especially at a time when global humanitarian funding is shrinking.

During a recent visit to Riyadh, Balde met with key Saudi officials to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation with UNHCR. His discussions focused on supporting over 27 million refugees and displaced individuals across East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and surrounding regions.

He stressed that Saudi Arabia’s partnership, both through direct aid and international collaboration, has played a crucial role in sustaining relief efforts in the face of the largest displacement crisis worldwide.

Balde’s visit included meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), the Saudi Fund for Development, and Islamic development institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development. He also consulted with humanitarian and religious organizations like the Muslim World League and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.

In Sudan, despite limited resources, UNHCR continues to deliver core services such as refugee registration, relocation to safer areas, and distribution of emergency supplies. This includes shelter kits, blankets, mosquito nets, solar lamps, and kitchen essentials, as well as medical supplies and support for survivors of gender-based violence and unaccompanied children.

Balde highlighted the scale of the crisis, pointing to nearly 13 million Sudanese who have been displaced in just two years, with 4 million fleeing across borders. He warned that displacement is accelerating, citing the arrival of approximately 2,000 new refugees daily in Chad due to recent violence in North Darfur.

With only 11 percent of the regional response plan for Sudan funded, humanitarian actors face difficult choices, often unable to reach all those in need.

Looking ahead, UNHCR’s strategy combines emergency relief with long-term development.

Balde stressed the need to integrate refugees into national systems, improve host community services, and avoid parallel aid structures, Balde told Asharq Al-Awsat.

For 2025, the agency and its partners require $1.8 billion to assist 4.8 million people, including refugees, returnees, and local communities across the region.