Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – January 12, 2026 – The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), in its capacity as Trustee of the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees (GIFR), today signed a landmark Donor Contribution Agreement with Secours Islamique France (SIF), a France-based humanitarian organization dedicated to alleviating suffering, providing emergency relief, and supporting long-term development initiatives across diverse global contexts for 35 years.

This strategic partnership represents a significant advancement in the GIFR response to one of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time: the forced displacement of millions worldwide. This ongoing challenge continues to uproot lives, overburden resources, and threaten human dignity on an unprecedented scale.

Launched in 2022 through a collaborative effort between the IsDB and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the GIFR functions as an innovative, Sharia-compliant multi-donor endowment. Contributions to the Fund’s capital are prudently invested in accordance with its endowment-based model, which safeguards the principal capital while generating sustainable income. This mechanism ensures the provision of enduring support for vital programs in education, healthcare, shelter, livelihoods, climate-resilient energy, water and sanitation, economic empowerment, and rapid emergency response; thereby delivering lasting benefits to refugees, internally displaced persons, stateless individuals, and host communities across IsDB member countries.

The agreement with SIF substantially broadens GIFR’s growing consortium of committed partners. Following significant contributions from esteemed organizations such as the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) and Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), SIF's designation as an Eligible Donor entitles it to a seat on the GIFR Steering Committee, enabling active participation in guiding strategic funding decisions and prioritizing high-impact initiatives.

Mr. Adil Alsharif, Director of IsDB’s Special and Trust Funds Department, remarked: "The agreement with SIF transcends a singular partnership; it is a strategic alignment of vision and capability. By integrating SIF extensive field expertise with GIFR’s innovative, endowment-based model, we are constructing a more resilient and responsive humanitarian-development architecture. This collaboration directly fuels our mission to replace vulnerability with opportunity, ensuring that every contribution creates a legacy of stability and hope for the forcibly displaced."

The GIFR's mission remains critically vital, as IsDB member countries host more than half of the world's forcibly displaced population. The Fund is actively channeling funds to key crisis areas, including support for Sudanese refugees in neighboring host countries such as Chad, Egypt, and Libya, where life-sustaining projects have recently been approved for implementation. The inclusion of SIF as a key partner and Steering Committee member brings invaluable expertise, additional resources, and renewed solidarity to this expanding global initiative, strengthening the collective commitment to restoring dignity and creating sustainable pathways to empowerment for displaced populations.

Mr. Rachid Lahlou, President and Founder of Secours Islamique France (SIF) underscored the importance of unified action to provide dignified and lasting support to those affected by forced displacement. He stated that "SIF's long-standing expertise in supporting refugees will significantly strengthen the impact of the actions carried out through this multilateral partnership, by bringing proven field presence in the most complex forced displacement crises," adding that "in the face of massive population displacements, SIF has been mobilizing its know-how in emergency aid and resilience programs for years, making this partnership a decisive lever for a coordinated and more effective humanitarian response." Rachid Lahlou concluded that "thanks to this strengthened partnership, tens of thousands of refugees will benefit from immediate emergency aid and long-term programs, restoring their dignity and facilitating their reintegration into stable communities."

Following the donor contribution agreement signing ceremony, the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees (GIFR) convened its 2nd Partners Meeting under the theme “Trends and Opportunities in Resource Mobilization (Tech Foresight).” The session strategically positioned the GIFR as a technologically adaptive and future-proof platform by identifying critical emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, FinTech, and Web3. It promoted the exchange of partner experiences in digital fundraising and data analytics, explored innovative applications including 'Digital Waqf' through FinTech solutions, and secured concrete commitments for collaborative, technology-driven projects to enhance resource mobilization and humanitarian impact.

About the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees (GIFR)

Launched in 2022 by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the GIFR represents a first-of-its-kind Shariah-compliant financing mechanism to support programs serving the refugees and host communities in IsDB member countries. It comprises of Waqf and Non-Waqf modalities, enabling contributions from a wide range of donors and benefactors. Contributions are invested according to Islamic Finance principles and

Shariah guidelines, with proceeds used to support critical humanitarian efforts for refugees, including access to education, water, sanitation, shelter, and opportunities. https://isfd.isdb.org

About the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Rated AAA by the major rating agencies of the world, the Islamic Development Bank is the pioneering multilateral development bank (MDB) of the Global South that has been working for 50 years to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves by delivering impact at scale. The Bank brings together 57 Member Countries across four continents, touching the lives of nearly 1 in 5 of the world population. It is committed to addressing development challenges and promoting collaboration to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by equipping people to drive their own green economic and sustainable social progress, putting planet-friendly infrastructure in place and enabling them to fulfil their potential. www.isdb.org

About the Secours Islamique France (SIF)

Founded in 1991, Secours Islamique France (SIF) is a national and international solidarity NGO dedicated to combating poverty and vulnerability in France and across the world.

SIF intervenes in all emergency contexts by providing rapid assistance to affected populations. It also implements sustainable development projects and programs, as well as advocacy initiatives. Its actions are universal, conducted without distinction of origin, religion, or gender. Its main areas of intervention include food security, water and sanitation, education and child protection, emergency shelter, and psychosocial support.

Operating in more than 20 countries, SIF scrupulously upholds the fundamental humanitarian principles of neutrality, independence, and transparency. This ensures dignified, effective, and sustainable action, drawing on several decades of field expertise to support vulnerable populations and foster their resilience.

www.secours-islamique.org
 

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