ISLAMABAD: According to local news media on Sunday, Afghan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that over half of the country’s population is facing a food deficit that must be addressed.
He said we should create a vehicle within the OIC to channel immediate and sustained humanitarian and financial support to the Afghan people, including pledges from the OIC and other donors, in his welcome address to the 17th extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Islamabad.
FM Qureshi stated that we should agree to expand bilateral or OIC investment in sectors such as education, health, and technical and vocational skills for Afghan youth.
The OIC, the UN, and international financial institutions should form a panel of specialists to look at methods to help Afghans gain access to the legitimate banking system and alleviate their liquidity problems.
The Afghan people’s food security should be prioritised, and the Islamic organisation for food security should lead this effort.
According to Shah Mahmood Qureshi, we should work with Afghan authorities to assist them achieve international standards for political and social inclusion, respect for human rights, particularly for women and girls, and defeating terrorism.
The Foreign Minister, referring to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the possibility of economic collapse there, said now is the time to give a collective helping hand rather than withhold support.
He stated that Pakistan agreed with the Secretary-General of the United Nations that humanitarian assistance should be provided without conditions.
