OIC chief calls for humanitarian conference on Yemen

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Tuesday 16 Jun 2015 - 23:12 Makkah mean time-29-8-1436 Jeddah (IINA) - Iyad Madani, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), called for convening a humanitarian conference to deal with the humanitarian crisis being faced by Yemen. He raised this demand while addressing the opening session of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of member states of OIC on Yemen at OIC headquarters in Jeddah on Tuesday. The session, presided over by Kuwait’s First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, issued a joint statement pledging full support to Yemen to restore its legitimacy and condemned regional powers’ intervention in Yemen. The opening session was also addressed by Yemen’s President Abdu Rabb Mansour Hadi, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and other leaders. The OIC chief said that the humanitarian situation in Yemen calls for urgent action and he appealed to the relevant regional and international organizations to take prompt measures to extend assistance and rescue Yemen and the Yemenis. “We express the hope that the member states will earmark part of their assistance to Yemen to be channeled through the OIC coordination mechanism within the framework of consolidating the principles of joint Islamic action. We similarly would like to propose the convening of a humanitarian donor conference to mobilize the necessary and urgent resources to face up to the critical humanitarian tragedy in Yemen.” Madani said the OIC General Secretariat stands ready to organize such a conference in coordination with the Yemeni authorities and in cooperation with our partners among the regional and international institutions, foremost of which the United Nations and its humanitarian and development bodies. He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Selman for his decision to extend generous donations to the Yemeni people in these dark hours and difficult circumstances. “The OIC stands ready for any coordination to channel the humanitarian aids, through its humanitarian office in Yemen, and reiterates its support for any measures adopted by Yemen to address the critical, urgent and alarming humanitarian situation there. The OIC will keep up its stand in support of the Yemeni economy and in favor of the reconstruction effort as well in support of the legitimate government in the face of the challenges, towards reestablishing security and stability and ensuring successful fulfillment of the transitional period,” he added. In his speech at the session, Yemen’s President Abdu Rabb Mansour Hadi stressed that Houthi militias and their allies within the country and abroad want to use Yemen to destabilize the region as well as to undermine international peace and security. HA/IINA