RIYADH — The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will attend the upcoming conference on humanitarian aid to the victims of the conflict in Syria. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon personally invited OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and urged him to encourage OIC member states to actively participate in the conference. During the phone call, the two discussed the overall situation in Syria with regard to its political and humanitarian dimensions. Both shared their deep concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country and reiterated their commitment to cooperate and support each other's efforts toward resolving the Syrian crisis. Last week, Ihsanoglu made an urgent appeal to member states and humanitarian organizations to extend their immediate assistance to Syrian refugees, particularly in Jordan due to the severe winter conditions now plaguing the region. Ihsanoglu asserted that the Islamic states and their humanitarian institutions bear an immediate responsibility to stand by Syrian refugees affected by the intricate weather. An OIC delegation from the OIC's humanitarian department will soon be traveling to Jordan to consult with the Jordanian government on the appropriate measures to ensure the prompt channeling of humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees. Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and the European Union will attend the conference. It will be held in Kuwait on Jan. 30, 2013, and co-hosted by the Emir of Kuwait and the UN Secretary General.
