Around 60 percent of Afghan are facing acute shortage of food: Turkish Foreign Minister

Islamabad: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that millions of people in Afghanistan are facing acute shortage of food and facing financial crisis.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s extraordinary meeting on the situation in Afghanistan is underway in Islamabad.

The extraordinary session of the OIC began with a recitation from the Holy Quran.

In his address, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that millions of people, around 60 percent of the population in Afghanistan are facing hunger and financial crisis. World need to find resolution for the aggravating humanitarian crisis.

He expressed concern that the crisis in Afghanistan could affect the region.

Turkish Foreign Minister said Pakistan welcomed states from all around the world to deliver aid to Afghanistan.

The Turkish Foreign Minister paid tribute to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for holding this timely meeting.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud said that the people of Afghanistan are waiting for our help and the issue of Afghanistan must be looked at on humanitarian grounds

Addressing the OIC meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said that Saudi Arabia understands the problems are being faced by the Afghan people.

Saudi Foreign Minister appealed to international organizations to come forward to help the people of Afghanistan for long-lasting global peace.

Previously, the Secretary-General of the OIC Hissein Brahim Taha lauded Pakistan for holding the extraordinary meeting to discuss the humanitarian crisis being face by Afghanistan.

While addressing to the session, Hissein Brahim Taha praised Pakistan's efforts and said that Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to play effective role in resolving humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by holding this session.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while opening the session of OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers, said that even before the meeting, our voice reached the world.

The foreign minister of Pakistan welcomed the visiting dignitaries and thanked them to be a part of this crucial meeting at such short notice.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the OIC meeting is on the current aggravating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan are facing acute shortage of food, half of the population of Afghanistan is facing food shortage and the World Food Program has also identified the problem of malnutrition in Afghanistan.

He said that the convening of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting by the Saudi leadership was commendable, adding that Secretary General Ibrahim Taha and his efforts were commendable and that the Muslim Ummah should play its role in saving Afghanistan from human tragedy.

The Foreign Minister said that today's meeting is very important for the survival of Afghanistan, we send a message to the Afghan people that we are united and with them. "Our voice regarding Afghanistan has reached the world", the foreign minister added.

The session was convened at the insistence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the OIC Summit Chair.

For the first time in 41 years ago, Pakistan is hosting a major meeting of the Islamic world. Prime Minister Imran Khan will deliver the keynote address at the special moot taking place at Parliament House today.

Besides the Foreign Ministers from the OIC Member States and Observers, participants would also include special invitees from the United Nations, International Financial Institutions and some non-member states including the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, Germany, Italy, Japan and the EU.

The meeting is being convened in the backdrop of the aggravating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The session would provide an opportunity to consider practical and concrete steps to help address the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people.