Ghulam Sirwar, the Consul General of Bangladesh, met with Dr. Adnan Khalil Basha, Secretary General of the International Islamic Relief Organization of Saudi Arabia (IIROSA), here Monday and expressed the keen interest of the Bangladeshi government in seeking cooperation opportunities with IIROSA in providing relief and humanitarian aid to groups in Bangladesh. Basha said that IIROSA is preparing to further develop its charity and relief operations, which the organization started 20 years ago. IIROSA has re-launched its health, educational, social, and developmental services in all categories. Basha also said that a team from IIROSA has conducted a full survey of its projects in Bangladesh in order to develop a future plan to leverage such projects. Sayed Hamid Saeed Kazimi, Pakistan Minister of Religious Affairs, during his recent visit to the Kingdom, also met Secretary General Basha to appeal for aid for needy and displaced people in refugee camps. Kazimi said that the Pakistani government is open to cooperation with IIROSA and is prepared to remove any obstacles in order to receive more IIROSA humanitarian aid. “IIROSA's role is very effective in helping needy people and victims of disasters. We appreciate the great efforts the organization made providing aid to Pakistanis who were victims of earthquakes and other disasters,” he said . Basha said that IIROSA is interested in providing aid to orphans, the poor, the disabled and refugees, within the limits of its available resources. In Pakistan, IIROSA is currently operating several humanitarian programs, including three orphanages that accommodate 1,050 male and female orphans, in addition to providing assistance to 2,500 orphans who are living with families. IIROSA has also constructed 500 water wells, and is providing extensive health services through the operation of Badr Hospital, Shams Clinic, Uhod Hospital and other medical camps. In addition, IIROSA also runs Ramadan breakfast, Adhahi, and emergency aid programs. In a recent publication IIROSA also announced plans to extend its activities in Saudi Arabia to benefit all communities. “We need to do a lot inside the Kingdom, especially in taking care of the handicapped and orphans. We also want to provide medical services and send health caravans to remote areas in the country,” Basha said. IIROSA sponsors over 85,000 orphans worldwide, including 13,000 in the Kingdom, and wants to work more in close partnership with UN agencies and international organizations to benefit from their experience, he added.
