The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries held at the organization’s headquarters in Jeddah today a high-level brainstorming roundtable, entitled "The Missing Persons During Conflicts and Disasters: Strengthening the Response in the OIC Countries," as part of the ongoing implementation of the bilateral Cooperation Agreement and its subsequent Plan of Action signed between the OIC and the ICRC regional delegation.
The OIC Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Social, and Cultural Affairs, Ambassador Tareg Ali Bakheet, stressed the role of the organization’s General Secretariat in promoting awareness of the best ways and means to enhance the response to the issue of missing persons in an increasingly complex global environment characterized by long-term conflicts, situations of violence, forced displacement, natural disasters, and wide regional migration. He praised the efforts made by ICRC to assist and alleviate human suffering of citizens in the Gaza Strip, especially during the current crisis.
The ICRC Head of Regional Delegation for the GCC countries, Mamadou Sow, pointed out that addressing the issue of missing persons is not just a task but a humanitarian necessity. "Cooperation with countries has revealed to us the path we will take, but real progress requires determination with strong political will and resources. In Gaza, the magnitude of the crisis becomes even more evident. We have been flooded with urgent pleas from those agonizing over the unknown fate of their family members, amplifying the daily horrors they face," he said.
Source: Saudi Press Agency