The Emergency Meeting of Relief Organizations of OIC Member States
was held in Islamabad on August 29, 2010 (18th Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, 1431). The Meeting was co-chaired by the OIC Secretary General H.E. Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihasanoglu and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan H.E. Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The Ambassadors representing OIC Member States in Islamabad, the Heads of Red Crescent Societies, NGOs, relief organizations and philanthropists from OIC Member States participated in the meeting.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed deep appreciation on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan to the Secretary General OIC, the Members States and the representatives of the relief organizations and philanthropists gathered in Islamabad for this humanitarian gesture in line with the universal Islamic principles of solidarity and brotherhood.
The Meeting expressed sympathy with the Government and people of Pakistan and reaffirmed their full cooperation and support in this hour of trial and ordeal. The Meeting expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of life and the extensive damage to property and infrastructure.
The Meeting took stock of the damage and devastation caused by the unprecedented floods in Pakistan and the preliminary assessment of the requirements of relief, recovery and rehabilitation phases.
The Meeting appreciated the vigorous relief operation undertaken by the Government of Pakistan to provide assistance to the affected people.
Underscoring that no country alone could deal with a disaster of this magnitude, the Meeting strongly appealed to the international community at large and Ummah in particular, OIC institutions, Red Crescent societies, charity and humanitarian organizations, private financial institutions and philanthropists to step up their efforts and contributions towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation in the flood affected areas of Pakistan.
The participants expressed their appreciation for the leadership of the Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ehasnoglu, the OIC Member States, international community and the humanitarian organizations which have contributed to the provision of emergency assistance, either directly or through the OIC.
The Meeting expressed commitment to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, including provision of clean drinking water, food, shelter, health and sanitation, as well as medium and long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation in flood affected areas. The Meeting recognized the need for coordinated humanitarian efforts while taking into account the special requirements of vulnerable segments of the society including women, children and the elderly.
The participants underscored the need for coordinated effort by the international community in relief and reconstruction activities. Towards this end, they agreed to work hand in hand with the UN and other international relief agencies to face up to this challenge.
The OIC institutions and representatives of relief organizations expressed their full support for the OIC General Secretariat’s initiative of a programme for children affected by the floods and committed themselves to its success.
The participants agreed to raise awareness amongst the general public through the print and electronic media in their countries, to generate funds for the flood affected areas and victims.
The Meeting welcomed the Secretary General’s initiative to open an OIC account in Pakistan as well as the setting up of an OIC coordination office as concrete steps demonstrating OIC’s continued involvement and commitment towards the relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of the floods.
The Foreign Minister and the Secretary General thanked the organizations, institutions and entities which made pledges of humanitarian assistance, in cash and kind, under different clusters as per the annexure.
The participants urged the World Bank and the IMF to extend debt cancellation facility to Pakistan at this difficult time with a view to enabling the Government to utilize resources for provision of humanitarian assistance to the flood victims.
The participants requested the OIC Secretariat and the Government of Pakistan to liaise closely in the coming months in the relief and reconstruction efforts and agreed- pending the outcome of the Damage Need Assessment by the World Bank and the IDB - to convene a follow up meeting at the end of October, 2010 at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah to review the needs assessment and consider necessary response.
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