ISLAMABAD – Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on TuesdayPakistan would host an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreignministers’ conference next month to appeal to the Muslim world to extend ahelping hand for Afghan people amid a looming humanitarian crisis.
Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized control of the government inmid-August, is facing acute famine and the coronavirus pandemic.
The financial crisis of the country has deepened further since theinternational aid organisation stopped their activities and Afghanistan’sforeign currency reserves have been seized by the West.
A recent UN report said as much as 97% of the population could go below thepoverty line by mid-2022.
Addressing a press conference, Chaudhry said: “Afghanistan’s economicturmoil is becoming catastrophic, world should not ignore it. Pakistan iswilling to take all actions to help people of Afghanistan and has decidedto send sufficient amount of wheat and rice to Afghanistan”.
He said that the federal cabinet has decided to send sufficient amount ofwheat flour and rice to Afghanistan to help Afghan people dealing emerginghumanitarian crisis.
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To reinforce Pakistan’s humanitarian efforts for Afghanistan, the forumalso decided to set up a fund for collecting contributions to help Afghanpeople, who are already suffering from food shortage.
The Minister said according to a recent report of the United Nations, 23million Afghan people are facing food shortage in current situation whileminor children are being sold to get food stuff.
He said in this regard we are trying our best to convey our concerns to theworld community and it is the high time to take action to avert an emerginghumanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.
