ASIA - Over 50 million people in Muslim countries suffered serious damage in 2011

Dubai (Agenzia Fides) - At the International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition, the recent meeting held in Dubai, sources of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that disasters and crises affected tens of millions of people in Muslim countries last year. In 2011, 38 of the 57 OIC member countries and 55 million people suffered severe damage and were victims of humanitarian emergencies. These tragedies have brought a total financial loss of 68 billion dollars. The figure is not due to the political crisis of the so-called Arab Spring, but it is based on tabulations distributed by the Member States. According to the study conducted by the OIC, in 2010 36 countries and 48 million people found themselves in a state of emergency, with a loss of 53 billion dollars. Because of the serious disasters that are currently being levied on the Muslim world, the organization has taken a leading role in humanitarian affairs. The OIC is very active in coordinating aid to Somalia, where aid workers have access in many western areas, and, together with the United Nations, the organization has accompanied the government's first assessment visit in areas hit by unrest in Syria. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 03/04/2012)