Islamic countries have agreed to establish a humanitarian trust fund for Afghanistan

At a meeting in Islamabad on Sunday, Member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation agreed to set up a humanitarian trust fund to address the economic crisis in Afghanistan, which has left millions starving in the winter.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a news conference that the fund would be set up under the auspices of the Islamic Development Bank to transfer aid to Afghanistan in coordination with other groups.

Afghanistan’s access to finance is crucial to preventing economic collapse, and realistic ways to release billions of dollars in frozen central bank reserves must be explored, the final statement said.

The OIC member states are holding a meeting to address the dire economic situation in Afghanistan, which is facing an imminent humanitarian crisis as a result of recent developments and the freezing of billions of dollars in Afghan assets.