DISASTERS: Over 50 million affected in Muslim world in 2011

DUBAI, 2 April 2012 (IRIN) - The Muslim world is increasingly in the "eye of the cyclone," with disasters and crises affecting tens of millions of people in Muslim countries last year, a senior official with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) told a humanitarian conference in Dubai.

In 2011, 38 of the 57 OIC member countries and 55 million people were affected by "disasters and chronic emergencies," Atta Elmanan Bakhit, OIC assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition. Disasters brought a total financial loss of US$68 billion in those Muslim countries, he said, quoting figures that will be published in OIC's annual report, to be released later this month.


Photo: UNICEF Pakistan/2011/Warrick Page
Pakistan has had more than its fair share of disasters

These numbers do not include political crises, namely the Arab Spring, and are tabulated based on information from member states. They are up from 2010 when 36 countries and 48 million people were affected, with $53 billion in losses, according to an OIC survey.

"In the Muslim world now, we have regularly a lot of disasters," Bakhit said, adding that the OIC has had no choice but to start playing a larger role in humanitarian affairs.

The OIC is active in coordinating humanitarian assistance in Somalia, where it has access in many areas Western aid workers do not; and along with the UN, the OIC accompanied the government in the first humanitarian assessment of areas affected by the unrest in Syria.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95226/DI ... ld-in-2011

Abubakar, this is dead organization and have nothing to do with the Horn of Africa droughts. In several times, they received reports about drought disaster risks in the Horn of Africa region. But, they were busy with Pakistan / Bangladesh and Arab issues! This means they have decided not to help the Africans. Please pass to them this message!

Check the sites listed below and you will have accurate information on the situation in Somalia, where OIC is indeed helping Somalis. It may not be to the extent Somalis would like, but they are doing their best. Somalia is a member of the Arab league, and they should have received more aid money from the league, but thanks to Saudi Arabia, the Arab league policy is rented to the State Department. For that reason, their contribution is usually channeled through the State Department. If Saudi Arabia gave $100 million, it will go through the State Department and gets re-packaged as a new aid money from the US after adding another $10 million to it. At the end of the day with the media power the US has it is sold to the world as a gift from the USA, and USAID manages the distribution of it, sometimes they do not deliver to areas they think is not under the control of their look out boy, TPLF Janjaweed forces.

That is the reality of the world we live in. Immediately a report is released through VOA (the other TPLF propaganda media organ), they make it look the areas where Somalis are not given food aid is the bad side of Somalia controlled by the freedom fighter. The fact is the freedom fighters care more about Somalis, they stopped expired food delivery many times before, the State Department claimed the freedom fighters are preventing aid from flowing in, all this communication is disseminated through their propaganda media (VOA). You can go back a couple months and re-read all the lies told by VOA and compare it with other credible Somalia media, and you will learn what we have learned over the years.

http://www.oicun.org/65/
http://somalilandpress.com/oic-pledges- ... mmit-23392

Abdulla (sorry Abadulla); are you dreaming? Can you please tell us the source of your information or this just Shabiya wari? Somalis are dying because of the recurrent droughts and wars, and seeking refuge in Ethiopia. There is no aid inside Somalia and that’s why people left their country and came to Ethiopia. US helps Somali people and also Weyane goverment. Tell me contribution of Arab countries to the disaster in Somalia????

Abadula thanks for the links.

Adamu, you have some sort of amnesia, or you are deliberately forgetful. Somalis are not coming to Ethiopia, Ogadeni Somalis are leaving their home for Kenya and Somalia, to get some help. Because the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia is killing them to take their land, just like it is doing to the people of Omo River and Benishagul. This regime has no idea what it is doing to the locals when it robs them of their right to live in their ancestral land, the dictator is only focusing on it's short term gains from corporations they are selling the lands to. They are not really considering the long term consequences of forcible removal of people that have used the land for many generation doing the only thing they know how. If you forcibly relocate those tribes to cities, they will perish, because they are not suitable for city living.

Stop diluting crimes from the perpetrator to a standby watcher.

Abubakar, I think you are new to this world or have no know knowledge on the realities and contexts of the Horn of Africa region. You need to be realistic and say the facts:
- I am not defending Woyane crimes and ongoing genocides in the Ogaden region. The Ogaden people are leaving the region because of the Woyane crimes and ongoing genocides in the region. You need to support the freedom of the Ogaden people.
- Somalis in Somalia are same with the Ogaden people. There are more than 125,000 Somali refugees in Dollo Ado of Somali region! So, where is the support Arab and Muslim Countries for Somalis? Where is the support of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the displaced Somalis??? Please see the attached photo. Thanks God (Allah), Somalis have been displaced by their leaders and others. But, they can stay without support from IGAD, AU, Arab and Muslim Countries!

Abubaker, this picture was taken in July 2011, which is about the conflict and drought disaster risk impact in Somalia! Where is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other Arab and Muslim countries support for the displaced Somalis???