Islamic Conference to meet in Pakistan on relief effort
By DPA, IANSWednesday, August 25, 2010
JEDDAH - Muslim humanitarian aid agencies will hold a meeting in Pakistan next week to help coordinate relief efforts for the millions of flood victims there, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) announced Wednesday.
The OIC, which has 56 member states, said the conference will be opened Sunday by Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani. Red Crescent societies and other relief bodies from the Muslim world were invited to attend.
“The conference will examine the essential needs of the affected areas in Pakistan,” an OIC statement said, adding that the aid agencies would also aim to better coordinate logistics, access to flood victims and donor responses.
The end goal would be to produce a “joint action plan to facilitate the humanitarian relief work in Pakistan, coordinate and mobilise efforts in order to reach the best results”.
According to the United Nations, the number of people displaced has now risen to 17 million as the floods continue to swamp more villages in the southern province of Sindh.
