(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu declared several regions of Somalia a famine zone.
OIC stated on Wednesday that famine disaster was affecting currently four regions in Somalia (Bay, Bakool, Juba and Lower Shebelle), and the lack of access to food under the quasi complete absence of international humanitarian organizations, and high rates of mortality among children, as well as the high incidence of drought indicate to famine in the country.
OIC said that Ihsanoglu made an urgent appeal to all parties in Somalia to observe an immediate cessation of fighting and allow humanitarian organizations full access to Somalia without preconditions, in order to facilitate delivery of emergency food aid to those affected.
A delegation of the OIC met President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday to discuss measures and steps the Organization undertook, and continues to undertake in order to contain the humanitarian disaster in Somalia.
The OIC also embarked on the distribution of humanitarian aid to displaced people in camps around the Somali capital.
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