Over half of Afghan population faces food shortage: FM Qureshi
Pakistan
The foreign minister called for increasing the investment in the education of Afghan people.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News/APP) - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said that over half of the Afghan population faced food shortage, which made the population of two-thirds UN member states.
The foreign minister, also chair of the session, in his opening address at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Cooperation proposed a six-point strategy for addressing Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, food security and economic revival besides the institutional capacity building to counter-terrorism.
Convened by Saudi Arabia as OIC chair and hosted by Pakistan to discuss the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis, the session is being attended by around 20 foreign ministers, 10 deputy foreign ministers and 70 delegates.
The foreign minister called for increasing the investment, bilaterally or through OIC platform in the education and skill training of Afghan people.
He proposed the establishment of an experts’ group of OIC and UN to consider ways and means to ensure the revival of the legitimate banking service in the war-torn country.
The foreign minister also called for enhanced engagement with Afghanistan to bring in political and social inclusivity besides ensuring respect for human rights particularly women’s rights.
He commended Saudi Arabia for convening the session as OIC chair and trusting Pakistan to host the extraordinary moot.
Besides other delegates, he also welcomed the Secretary-General OIC for rapid mobilization and arrangements for the session on short notice.
He said the gathering of OIC leaders at the short notice also reaffirmed their commitment to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Calling it a matter of survival, the foreign minister said over half of the Afghan population faced food shortage, which made the population of two-thirds UN member states.
He said Pakistan had hosted an OIC session on Afghanistan on 1980 and after 41 years, Pakistan was is obliged to host another session on the humanitarian crisis in same country as the sufferings of the Afghan people had not ended.
Qureshi referred to the World Food Program, which warned that Afghanistan could face the largest humanitarian crisis in the world and the United Nations also warned of a similar situation.
He said it was a moment to stand up and that Afghan people must be supported without any condition.
