The emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation )OIC( began on Sunday in the Pakistani capital Islamabad to discuss the grave humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hussain Ibrahim Taha, called on all Afghan parties to work to advance the interest of the Afghan people, protect lives, renounce violence and establish lasting peace, in order to achieve the aspirations and hopes of the Afghan people for stability, a decent life and prosperity.
“The OIC supports the peace process in Afghanistan and is ready to cooperate with regional and international efforts aimed at achieving peace for the Afghan people, and to make the necessary contacts in this regard,” Taha said.
The Secretary-General called for the necessity of enhancing the role of the organization’s mission in Kabul, and supporting it with financial, human and logistical resources, so that it could assume its full responsibilities in coordinating humanitarian and development support operations for the Afghan people.
He also urged member states to provide humanitarian assistance through the organization’s mission in Kabul.
The OIC Secretary-General reiterated the importance of concerted efforts to combat terrorism and violence in Afghanistan and to ensure that Afghan territory is not used as a platform or a haven for terrorist organizations.
For his part, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the purpose of the meeting of foreign ministers and officials from the 57-member organization is to mobilize support for Afghanistan and that anything that could help improve the situation should be considered.
Qureshi stressed that his country cannot turn a blind eye to the economic collapse in Afghanistan, which will lead to increased instability and human suffering.
He asserted that Pakistan is the country that has benefited the most from stabilizing Afghanistan.
In the same context, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday that the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan will affect regional stability, adding: “We need to respond to the worsening humanitarian crisis facing Afghans.”
Bin Farhan added that the Afghans themselves should contribute to ending the tragedy in their country, calling on the international community to help stop the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.
He continued: “We must ensure that Afghanistan is not used to harbor terrorist and extremist groups,” expressing his hope to create mechanisms to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, noting that a Saudi air and land bridge has been established to transport humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Bin Farhan warned of the collapse of the current situation in Afghanistan, stressing that this would lead to chaos that would affect regionally and globally.
Minister Faisal bin Farhan expressed his condemnation of the terrorist attacks of ISIS in Afghanistan, stressing that maintaining security and stability in Afghanistan is a priority for the international community.
The meeting of the OIC is the first major conference on Afghanistan since the Taliban overthrew the previous government in August, and also constitutes a diplomatic test for Taliban leaders.
After the Taliban’s swift return to power, the international community froze billions of dollars in aid and assets, risking a major humanitarian crisis as winter approaches in the country of 38 million people.
