OIC Secretary-General calls for providing humanitarian aid through OIC Mission in Kabul

OIC Secretary-General calls for providing humanitarian aid through OIC Mission in Kabul

Islamabad (UNA-OIC) – The 17th Session of the Emergency Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) kicked off today, 19 December 2021, in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, to discuss the grave humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the opening session were Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan; Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi; Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Chair of the 14th Session of the Islamic Summit – OIC Secretary-General Hissein Ibrahim Taha; and President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser.

The OIC Secretary-General extended his sincere thanks to Saudi Arabia, Chair of the 14th Session of the Islamic Summit, for its initiative to call for holding this important meeting, as part of its firm commitment to support solidarity and joint Islamic action. He also expressed his sincere thanks to the government and people of Pakistan for hosting the meeting, and for the generous hospitality extended to the participants, as well as its full commitment to supporting the causes of the Islamic Ummah and its keenness on promoting peace and security in the region.

In his speech, the OIC chief called upon all the Afghan parties to work to advance the interest of the Afghan people, protect lives, renounce violence, and establish lasting peace, in order to fulfill the aspirations and hopes of the Afghans for stability, decent living, and prosperity. He stressed, in this regard, the OIC’s support to the peace process in Afghanistan, and expressed the Organization’s willingness to cooperate with the international and regional efforts aimed at achieving peace for the Afghan people, to harness its capabilities to achieve peace, security and stability in Afghanistan, and to make the necessary contacts in this regard.

Taha emphasized that the OIC’s role in providing humanitarian aid has become more necessary than ever before, given the scale of the increasing humanitarian challenges facing the Afghan people. In this regard, he called for strengthening the role of the OIC Mission in Kabul and to provide it with the financial, human, and logistical resources so that it could assume its full responsibilities in coordinating humanitarian and development support operations for the Afghan people.

The Secretary-General also urged member states and institutions of the OIC to provide humanitarian assistance through the organization’s mission.

On the political front, Taha stated that the OIC reiterates the importance of concerted efforts to combat terrorism and acts of violence in Afghanistan, and to ensure that the Afghan territories are not used as a platform or haven for terrorist organizations.

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