Growing rate of inflation is the major impediment for the activities of charity organizations, as the number of people with hunger has been on the rise, said Dr. Saleh S. Al-Wohaibi, Secretary General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY). Al-Wohaibi was speaking to a gathering of around 300 invited guests who included ambassadors, diplomats from the embassies of 50 countries in the Kingdom, donors, philanthropists and volunteers at 6th annual Iftar party hosted by WAMY here on Tuesday. “Inflation is on the rise and the hungry people are increasing by the day. It is no longer possible for charitable organizations to address the needs of the poor. If I were to quote some statistics in this regard, I am afraid I will spoil (your) Iftar (meals) tonight,” Al-Wohaibi said during his speech. The growing rate of inflation is leading to a food crisis, a matter of concern for charitable organizations, he said. According to UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) the number of hungry people increased by about 50 million in 2007 as a result of high food prices. The number of people who are chronically undernourished is increasing by five million every year, the UN organization says. Each year six million children under the age of five die because of diseases resulting from malnutrition. Yang Honglin, Chinese Ambassador and John Andrew Davies, South African Ambassador were guest speakers on the occasion. Al-Wohaibi said in the present scenario the charity organizations are facing a number of challenges. He said since its establishment in 1972 WAMY has been dealing with the youth belonging to a sensitive and important age group in order to help them achieve a better future. He said most of the youth population is living in Third World countries and due to lack of opportunities they tended to migrate either to West, the developed countries or other rich states such as in the Gulf region. Unfortunately, he said, some of the youths opted illegal means to migrate from poor countries to rich countries and fell into a number of problems. He urged the international community to work together for combating illegal migration not by erecting electric fences, check-points or adopting other tough measures but by generating enough employment opportunities for these young men and women in their home countries. Al-Wohaibi offered WAMY services saying that despite limited resources the charity organizations could play a role by providing the help youth need and encourage them to stay in their home countries. Honglin, while addressing the audience in Arabic language, highlighted the long-standing Chinese-Arab relations. Davies in his speech called for more interfaith dialogue, notably between Muslims and Christians. “The recent interfaith meeting in Spain, the initiative of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was commendable,” he said. He said through interfaith dialogue and goodwill the people of two religions could remove mistrust and develop a better understanding between each other. __
