On April 24th, Counsellor Horan took part in the Special Meeting on Forced Displacement and Refugee Protection. Addressing the gathering, he called for a renewed international commitment to long-term solutions for displaced populations, emphasizing the need to move “from immediate relief to inclusive economies.”

The humanitarian toll of displacement was illustrated through the Order’s ongoing work in Ukraine, where over five million people remain internally displaced. Horan reported that more than 67,000 individuals—many of them children and elderly—have received mental health care through mobile clinics and support teams provided by the Order. He stressed that true recovery must address psychological trauma and social reintegration, not only physical needs.

Turning to Gaza and the West Bank, Counsellor Horan described how the Sovereign Order of Malta distributed nearly 140 tons of food and hygiene supplies in 2024, reaching 40,000 individuals amid ongoing conflict. In Bethlehem, the Order’s Holy Family Hospital continues to offer maternal and neonatal care to all, regardless of background. Yet he warned that continuing violence has disrupted many of these efforts, threatening already fragile systems of support.

In closing, Counsellor Horan urged governments, humanitarian actors, and international financial institutions to build durable, inclusive responses to displacement rooted in shared responsibility. “We cannot undo displacement,” he concluded, “but we can choose to respond—not with indifference, but with presence.”