“Morocco places humanitarian action at the heart of its foreign policy and African cooperation, in line with the visionary guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.” This was the message delivered on May 2, 2026, by Mohamed Arrouchi, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, during a public session of the AU’s Peace and Security Council (PSC).

As the AU’s Champion on migration, Morocco has consistently prioritized humanitarian action within its foreign policy and African cooperation framework. The Kingdom spares no effort in mitigating humanitarian crises wherever they occur on the continent, Mr. Arrouchi emphasized.

The diplomat highlighted that Morocco’s humanitarian initiatives extend beyond emergency aid or mobile hospital deployments. Instead, they are part of a comprehensive, sustainable strategy designed to provide lasting relief to affected populations. This approach is rooted in co-development, expertise-sharing, and the adoption of best practices.

He also underscored the importance of addressing the humanitarian consequences of climate change and desertification, which are already driving an increase in climate refugees across Africa. This commitment is paired with a firm stance on responsible governance in humanitarian action to ensure that aid reaches its intended beneficiaries without diversion or exploitation.

Mr. Arrouchi stressed that humanitarian responses in Africa must adopt an integrated, multidimensional approach, combining humanitarian aid with conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding, and development. This holistic strategy aims to tackle the root causes of forced displacement.

He further emphasized the need to strengthen the resilience of communities affected by conflict, natural disasters, and climate shocks to reduce their vulnerability to future crises.

The diplomat called for enhanced African capacities in anticipating, preventing, and responding to humanitarian crises, particularly those linked to climate change. This includes developing early warning systems, preparedness frameworks, and resilience mechanisms tailored to the continent’s realities.

Transparency, accountability, and robust monitoring mechanisms are essential to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those in need and prevents diversion or manipulation of resources, he noted. Strengthening data registration, tracking, and management systems for refugees and internally displaced persons—based on credible, verified, and regularly updated data—is critical to improving the efficiency of humanitarian responses and ensuring proper resource allocation.

Mr. Arrouchi pointed out that Africa is currently facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, driven by conflict-induced displacement, climate-related disasters, economic slowdowns, and rising food insecurity and malnutrition across several regions. The collective response to these challenges has often fallen short due to national, regional, and continental constraints.

In light of this crisis, he called for a focus on practical, operational solutions that prioritize prevention and propose sustainable, forward-looking measures. This includes establishing a new African humanitarian order that addresses the continent’s evolving challenges.

Ultimately, he stressed the need to prioritize preventive action in the face of increasingly frequent and complex shocks.