OIC meeting bears fruit, task force to be formed for Somalia

An emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held at Turkey's instigation to discuss the crisis in Somalia, has ended with the agreement of the 57 member countries on concrete steps for action to help the famine-stricken country.  A final statement released at the end of the meeting late on Wednesday calls on all OIC member states, financial institutions, charitable organizations and philanthropists to support efforts for the alleviation of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Somalia. The organization has created a special trust fund for all contributions to the country, and the meeting also called for the safe passage of aid workers to the affected areas so that they can deliver urgently needed humanitarian assistance to millions of people at risk. OIC countries have, meanwhile, pledged $350 million in aid to fight famine in Somalia, OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said on Wednesday.