The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen has stressed that the current situation in Syria remains extremely dangerous, the humanitarian situation remains dire, and there is urgent need to find a prompt but durable solution to the crisis. In a statement to the Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region on 5 April 2017, the Secretary General of OIC expressed deep concern and profound pain at what the situation in Syria has turned into, with the ongoing bloodshed, the indiscriminate killing of innocent lives including children and women and the large scale of destruction of homes and infrastructure. "From a humanitarian perspective, the escalation in fighting has led to tragic and unnecessary civilian deaths, casualties and a worsening of humanitarian suffering," said Al-Othaimeen. "The number of refugees as well as internally displaced persons has risen, and it goes without saying that the current crisis has spread beyond the country's borders and further destabilized the region," he added. He noted that the OIC has been striving since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis to respond to the humanitarian plight of the Syrian people through raising funds not only within its Member States but also in coordination with its international partners and such endeavours would certainly continue. He equally re-affirmed the OIC's support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as resolution of the crisis through a political solution based on UN Resolutions. The Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region is co-chaired by the European Union, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Nations and comes on the heels of the latest attack targeting civilians in Khan Shaykhoun in Idlib province of Syria using prohibited chemical weapons. The OIC strongly condemned the attack and called for ending the bloodshed and urgent political solution to the crises in Syria. Delegations from 70 major donor nations, civil society, humanitarian and development organisations attending the Brussel conference will assess where the international community stands collectively in fulfilling commitments made at the London Conference in February 2016 and agree on additional efforts needed to meet the needs of those affected by the Syrian crisis. The conference will also focus on how the international community can support a lasting political resolution to the Syrian conflict through an inclusive and Syrian-led political transition process based on the relevant Security Council resolutions, and particularly the framework of the UNSC Resolution 2254, and the Geneva communiqué.
