OIC launches urgent relief appeal for Somalia

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) made an urgent appeal to its Member and friendly states, international organizations and non-governmental humanitarian organizations to provide urgent assistance to Somalia. This is in light of the difficult humanitarian situation the country is passing through which portends the danger of a second wave of famine that may affect hundreds of thousands of victims, according to estimates provided by the OIC Humanitarian Coordination Office in Mogadishu. Current details indicate that about 1 million persons including more than 75,000 children are suffering from serious malnutrition.
The OIC said in a statement that depletion of various water sources has led to the critical condition in the country, with its catastrophic effects on agricultural production regions and livestock. It has also raised food prices to unprecedented levels. The Somali government has declared a state of emergency to address this economic and humanitarian crisis.
The OIC calls upon its Member States, civil society organizations and international humanitarian relief organizations to act swiftly to contain this crisis before it worsens and prevent another food crisis of catastrophic dimensions in Somalia, so that the humanitarian tragedy of 2011 which claimed hundreds of thousands of Somali lives, especially women and children is not repeated.