HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
OIC Member States pledge $350 million for Somalia to help in solving the crisis in Somalia by tackling the deeprooted causes of the civil strife. Kazakhstan, the term chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, also offered to establish a food security mechanism to prevent future famines in the Horn of Africa, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov said. Noting the recurrence of crises and humanitarian disasters in Member States, the meeting called on the OIC to expedite the establishment of the OIC Emergency Response Fund. “The OIC secretariat will open bank accounts in different countries for individual donations to Somalia,” Kazykhanov added.
Rallying support:
Istanbul, Turkey – Member States of the Organization The United Nations has declared that one billion dollars of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have pledged $350 million in is needed for Somalia, but the international community aid to fight famine in Somalia at an emergency meeting in only pledged half this amount, Turkish Prime Minister Istanbul on August 17. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his opening remarks at the With some 3.7 million Somalis at risk of starvation in the emergency meeting, which Turkey had called for holding. Horn of Africa country, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin "There is a fire in Somalia and what's urgent is to Ihsanoglu said he hoped the aid would soon reach $500 extinguish that fire," Erdogan said to the Foreign Ministers million and urged donors to improve drought-stricken and representatives of 40 out of the 57-nation OIC to Somalia's long-term food security by helping it rebuild galvanize support for Somalia and neighboring regions infrastructure and agriculture. also hit by drought. He invited Muslim countries as well as “All in all we have secured $350 million in pledges. We strong economies throughout the world to extend a helping hope to raise the commitments to $500 million in a very hand to the people of Somalia. short time,” he told a news conference after the meeting. Erdogan said the Somali famine was "a litmus test" not The promised amount includes $150 million that Turkey has only for Muslims but for all humanity. already collected for Somalia Somali President Sheikh from a national aid campaign, * The famine has adversely affected 80% of the population Sharif Ahmed said his Ihsanoglu said. in middle and lower Shabelle, Banadir and Bay regions country was unable to raise * Below average rainfalls have failed crops and vegetation enough food and cattle, and Other donations came from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, for the last 3 seasons faced militant attacks. Al * More than 60% of the livestock were killed by the Shabaab militants, who have Gabon, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi famine in these regions prevented aid from getting * Women, children, elders and the sick who cannot travel Arabia, Senegal and Sudan, to people, control the worst are the most vulnerable populations with high number of according to the meeting's hit areas. malnourished children final declaration. The rebels, who * The humanitarian response in these areas are to nonMember States, financial existing have waged a four-year institutions, humanitarian * The urgently needed interventions are: food aid, water, insurgency against Somalia's organizations and nutrition and medicine government, withdrew from philanthropists were urged Mogadishu at the beginning to generously contribute to the Somali Trust Fund, which of August, which was also the start of the fasting month of was founded under the OIC secretariat by the 38th Council Ramadan for Muslims, opening the way for life-saving food of Foreign Ministers, said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet aid but also raising the risk of insurgency attacks. Davutoglu. Somalia is the country hardest hit by the drought that has Kazakhstan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and the OIC affected people around the Horn of Africa region. constituted a task force dedicated to follow the situation in UN officials have said some 12 million people are in Somalia and coordinate the aid campaigns, he added. danger of starvation in the Horn of Africa region. “We decided to have aid campaigns in all Islamic Ihsanoglu declares famine in Somalia, countries,” Davutoglu said. The Islamic world would “actively take part” in finding launches ‘Days of Giving” Campaign a solution for the domestic tensions in Somalia, he added. The OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu The meeting urged the rebel groups to stop the fighting and called on all Member States and the international community has announced on July 20 that Somalia is suffering from 42
the OIC Journal www.oic-oci.org June - August 2011