OIC appeals for urgent aid

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference on Wednesday called on member states and the international community to supply urgent aid to Pakistan, which is grappling with devastating floods. The OIC called in a communiqué for the "international community in general and Islamic world in particular, at the level of individuals and states, to provide urgent material and financial aid to Pakistan."
The appeal was issued at an emergency meeting for representatives of member states of the pan-Muslim organisation. "We are faced with a disaster of gigantic proportions which requires colossal resources to be tackled," OIC secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu told the meeting.
An OIC spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the Islamic Development Bank has allocated 11.2 million dollars (8.7 million euros) for assistance to Pakistan. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia raised 20.5 million dollars (15.9 billion euros) of aid on the first day of a national campaign, official SPA news agency said on Tuesday. The kingdom has also pledged to provide 100 million dollars (77.6 million euros) in government aid to Pakistan, the Arab News daily said. Also on Tuesday, Kuwait's cabinet announced five million dollars (3.8 million euros) in relief assistance.
Pakistan's worst-ever humanitarian disaster has ravaged an area roughly the size of England, affected 20 million people, exacerbated a crippling energy crisis and raised fears of social unrest. Ihsanoglu told the meeting that the situation in Pakistan is "very grave and unprecedented in modern history."
He said that the OIC will hold a meeting in Pakistan for Islamic Red Crescent societies and relief bodies to co-ordinate aid, and that contacts are continuing with Pakistan to set the date and place for the meeting. Ihsanoglu also said that "we must seriously consider setting up an OIC emergency disaster response fund" to provide aid in times of crisis.
"The OIC has to be strategically equipped with the necessary means to carry out its humanitarian duty," he said. The floods in Pakistan have inflicted widespread damage on infrastructure, and in some cities destroyed electricity installations, roads and phone lines. The World Bank, which has announced a 900-million-dollar (700-million-euro) loan for Pakistan, expects the economic impact to be huge, and said that direct damage was greatest in housing, roads, irrigation and agriculture. It estimated crop loss at one billion dollars (776 million euros).