OIC pledges US$350m to fight #hunger in Somalia

ISTANBUL, Aug 18: Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries have pledged $350 million in aid to fight famine in Somalia at an emergency summit in İstanbul, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin İhsanoglu said on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of Somalian children are starving
With some 3.7 million Somalis at risk of starvation in the Horn of Africa country, Ihsanoglu said he hoped the aid would soon reach $500 million and urged donors to improve drought-stricken Somalia's long-term food security by helping it rebuild infrastructure and agriculture.  

"All in all we have secured $350 million in pledges. We hope to raise the commitments to $500 million in a very short time," he told a news conference after the summit, held in Turkey's commercial capital during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  
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