OIC launch food security programme for Afghans
ISLAMABAD: A specially convened meeting of the 57 member states of the OIC on Sunday vowed to play a leading role in delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of war-torn Afghanistan and unanimously agreed on establishing a Humanitarian Trust Fund, launch a Food Security Programme and engage with the World Health Organization for securing vaccines and medical supplies.
The meeting of the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held on the initiative of Saudi Arabia and hosted by Pakistan was attended by around 70 delegates from the member states, international aid agencies and special representatives.
The unanimously adopted Joint resolution brings a glimmer of hope for the 22.8 million people – more than half the population of Afghanistan – who face acute food shortage; while 3.2 million children and 700,000 pregnant and lactating women are at a risk of acute malnutrition.
The document adopted after day-long deliberations at the Parliament building also expressed solidarity with the Afghans and reiterated the commitment of the OIC Member States to help bring peace, security, stability, and development to Afghanistan.
The extraordinary meeting was convened as the UN’s estimates warned that 60% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people face “crisis levels of hunger” and that the situation was getting worse every day. The OIC also expressed deep alarm at the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier in his keynote address warned; “Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is heading for chaos.”
He said “chaos suits no one” and urged the world to understand the gravity of situation and reach out to the Afghan people who were facing starvation.
