Pakistan to host OIC summit on Afghanistan next month

ISLAMABAD – Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday Pakistan would host an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers’ conference next month to appeal to the Muslim world to extend a helping hand for Afghan people amid a looming humanitarian crisis.

Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized control of the government in mid-August, is facing acute famine and the coronavirus pandemic.

The financial crisis of the country has deepened further since the international aid organisation stopped their activities and Afghanistan’s foreign currency reserves have been seized by the West.

A recent UN report said as much as 97% of the population could go below the poverty line by mid-2022.

Addressing a press conference, Chaudhry said: "Afghanistan’s economic turmoil is becoming catastrophic, world should not ignore it. Pakistan is willing to take all actions to help people of Afghanistan and has decided to send sufficient amount of wheat and rice to Afghanistan".

He said that the federal cabinet has decided to send sufficient amount of wheat flour and rice to Afghanistan to help Afghan people dealing emerging humanitarian crisis.

To reinforce Pakistan's humanitarian efforts for Afghanistan, the forum also decided to set up a fund for collecting contributions to help Afghan people, who are already suffering from food shortage.

The Minister said according to a recent report of the United Nations, 23 million Afghan people are facing food shortage in current situation while minor children are being sold to get food stuff.

He said in this regard we are trying our best to convey our concerns to the world community and it is the high time to take action to avert an emerging humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.