Jeddah (UNA-OIC) – On the occasion of the Day of the Orphan in the Islamic world observed yearly on 15 Ramadan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) renewed its call to all stakeholders to accord orphans the decent care and good treatment they deserve, especially that millions of them are victims of wars, natural disasters, diseases and famines in several member states.
The situation of orphans was compounded by the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic all over the world, the OIC added in a statement issued Tuesday on the occasion.
As an expression of the OIC’s interest in orphan’s issues and concerns, the 40th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held in Conakry, Guinea, in December 2013, adopted a resolution setting the 15th day of Ramadan of each year as the OIC Orphan’s Day to raise awareness of their issues and needs.
Celebrating the Orphan’s Day in the Muslim world aims to motivate member states, organizations, and civil society bodies to take care of orphans and embody Islamic commandments to care for orphans and sponsor them educationally, healthily and socially, as well as providing them with livelihood assistance and preserving their rights and bringing them up. These commandments are mentioned in the Holy Quran more than 20 times. Moreover, the orphans’ rights are among the most significant rights enjoined by Islam and all other divine faiths.
It is worth noting that the OIC General Secretariat works closely with international and regional organizations and civil society bodies entities in the member states on a comprehensive approach to care for, sponsor, and protect orphans.
In this regard, the General Secretariat calls on member countries as well as civil society and humanitarian organizations to celebrate Orphan’s Day through various activities to raise awareness of the orphans’ issues and needs and buttress their efforts to solve these issues and fulfill those needs.
