Ihsanoglu was speaking at an emergency meeting of the OIC on Wednesday to pledge support, solidarity and sympathy for Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods that have killed over 1,600 people and displaced thousands more.
“The OIC should consider seriously the establishment of an emergency fund to address efficiently and urgently natural disasters and catastrophes which might affect individual member states in the future, particularly in view of the phenomena of global warming and climate change,” he said.
On Tuesday night, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said that Saudi Arabia would give SR300 million to Pakistan to alleviate the suffering of its flood victims.
“King Abdullah has given his instructions that SR300 million be given from the people of Saudi Arabia to their brethren in Pakistan as an expression of Islamic brotherhood,” an official statement said.
Pakistan’s Ambassador Umar Khan Alisherzai thanked the Kingdom on behalf of the president, the prime minister and the people of Pakistan for the public fundraising campaign launched by King Abdullah and the generous contribution of SR300 million to boost the fundraising drive.
With this, the total amount collected so far is SR400 million, said the ambassador. More than SR80 million was netted from the nationwide fundraising campaign launched on Monday. King Abdullah inaugurated the campaign with a donation of SR20 million. Crown Prince Sultan contributed SR10 million while Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif gave SR5 million.
Saudi Arabia has already sent 21 planeloads of relief supplies to Pakistan since Sunday.
“King Abdullah has always played a fatherly role whenever Pakistan was hit by any natural calamity or other problems,” said Alisherzai.
He said that the generous donations from King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, Prince Naif, members of the Saudi royal family and residents would go a long way in alleviating the suffering of the Pakistani people.
The OIC secretary-general, in his passionate address to a full house, expressed his deep sorrow over the death and devastation caused by the floods. He compared it to the tsunami in Indonesia, the Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, Hurricane Katrina in the US and the Pakistan earthquake of 2005.
Ihsanoglu said that he would visit Pakistan soon with a high-level delegation to examine the situation there. However, he did not give any date for his visit. “Such visits mostly become symbolic without preparation. We are in constant touch with Pakistani officials and trying to do as much as possible while finalizing the logistics of our visit to make it more useful for the flood victims,” he said.
The OIC member states pledged all possible support to the flood-hit country but only a few came forward and pledged actual financial assistance. Turkish permanent representative at the OIC Ahmad Mukhtar Gun said that his country has pledged $10 million for the flood victims. He informed the organization that Turkey has already sent medical supplies to Pakistan.
Kuwait’s representative pledged $5 million in aid, while Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia and Malaysia also promised financial assistance.
In its final communiqué the OIC called upon the international community at large and the Islamic world in particular to extend urgent support to Pakistan to alleviate its burden and help the country overcome the fallout from the disaster.
It urged OIC member states, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), the Red Crescent Societies in member countries, charitable and humanitarian organizations, and private financial institutions to urgently address the humanitarian needs of the Pakistani people.
On Tuesday, Jeddah-based IDB pledged an $11 million humanitarian package for Pakistan.
The communiqué expressed its appreciation and gratitude to member states and all organizations that contributed to the provision of emergency assistance to Pakistan, either directly or through the OIC.
In a touching appeal, the Pakistani ambassador reminded the member states of the magnitude of the devastation and the misery the disaster had brought to thousands of people.
“I am sure you all must have seen the images of suffering and misery that recent torrential rains and flash floods have caused in Pakistan. Unprecedented in living memory, the disaster continues to wreak havoc with lives and properties in our agricultural heartland,” he said.
“One-fifth of the country is inundated. More than 1.7 million acres of crops have been destroyed. It may lead to a 10 to 15 percent decrease in agricultural production. The impact of this disaster on the economy is huge. The initial assessment suggests that the loss to economy may be to the tune of 1.3 percent of GDP.”
He added that the Pakistani government was working hard to bring relief to those affected.
“The scale of this catastrophe is so huge that it is impossible for Pakistan alone to deal with it. We expect a more robust response from the international community including our Islamic brothers to complement our national efforts. We appreciate the assistance and contribution of the international community in the relief efforts,” Alisherzai said.
He appealed to the IDB to work out long term programs, in consultation with the government of Pakistan, for the reconstruction and rehabilitation needs of flood-affected areas in the country.
“We are currently in the immediate relief and rescue phase of our operations. The relief items which we require in this phase include boats, generators, water filtration plants, de-watering pumps, blankets, medicines, medical equipment, hygiene kits, non-perishable food items, tents and tarpaulin,” he added.
Ihsanoglu and Alisherzai called upon the member states to launch a fundraising telethon in their respective countries for flood victims in coordination with the OIC.
Alisherzai also appealed to initiate a program for flood-affected children and urged OIC members and institutions to contribute generously to ensure the scheme is a success.
