On 14 October 2021, Their Excellencies Ambassador Tarig Bakheet, Assistant Secretary General for Cultural, Social and Humanitarian Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Director General of Islamic Organization of Food Security (IOFS), Mr. Yerlan A. Baidaulet, met virtually to align the bilateral coordination between the IOFS and OIC towards ensuring the required assistance is provided to address the bleak and dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
The meeting was held within the framework of the Extraordinary open-ended meeting of the OIC Executive Committee at the level of Permanent Representatives on the Situation in Afghanistan, held under the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in its capacity of Chair of the 14th OIC Summit, on 22 August 2021 at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, so as to underscore the vital importance of the OIC Mission in Kabul in playing a crucial role in coordinating the provision of humanitarian assistance. In this context, Dr. Mohammed Alayyash, Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, was in the attendance of the gathering to establish direct and official communications with the IOFS.
During the meeting, Ambassador Bakheet addressed kind words to the Republic of Kazakhstan of its unwavering support to all OIC related matters, particularly on humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, as the Director General had shared the good news of Kazakhstan’s readiness to provide relevant logistical and in-kind support to implement Flour for Humanity, one of the IOFS flagship programmes for humanitarian assistance within the OIC Geography.
The meeting also served as a follow-up on other issues of mutual interest, including the participation of IOFS at the biannual UN-OIC Meeting to be held in Geneva on 20-22 December 2021.
It should be mentioned here that Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Senior Liaison Officer and Mr. Aliou Diallo, Professional Officer at the OIC Humanitarian Department, were also part of the attendees at the meeting in reference.
