The Islamic Committee of the International Crescent (ICIC), a specialized organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is meeting at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah for its 35th session for two days starting from 5 January 2022. Held under the high patronage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the chair country of the Islamic Summit, the ICIC meeting considers the latest updates on the humanitarian and relief assistance work provided by the ICIC to natural disaster-affected populations and IDPs across the OIC Member States, and the need to sustain cooperation and coordination in humanitarian action and follow-up on irregular migration issues. In a statement delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs Amb. Tareq Bakheet, the OIC Secretary General, Mr Hissein Ibrahim Taha, said that the Committee was meeting at a time when a new reality is taking shape across the Muslim world, posing heavy humanitarian challenges that could only be addressed through genuine solidary action. The General Secretariat pays special attention to the work done by the ICIC and other humanitarian organizations to relieve the pain of victims of disasters, conflicts and wars across the Muslim world, the Secretary General explained, describing the ICIC's 35th meeting as a further milestone in the pursuit of closer coordination and cooperation for these noble humanitarian goals. Moreover, the Secretary General commended the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chair of the Islamic Summit, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Vice President of the Council of Ministers, for the generous support and patronage granted to the mandate of the OIC and its agencies, on top of which the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent. He also thanked the ICIC and all Red Crescent and Red Cross institutions for their onerous work during disasters and humanitarian crises, particularly in response to the coronavirus pandemic's brunt on the Muslim world. Also significant, the Secretary General stressed the OIC's readiness to channel all its potential to assist the ICIC in its earnest efforts to deliver aid to victims of natural and man-made disasters.
