‘Half of countries affected by hunger are Islamic countries’
ROME (AA) – Political instability and climate change are the main causes of hunger and malnutrition in Muslim countries.
The head of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), Yerlan Baidaulet, said that half of the countries facing hunger and malnutrition in the world are Islamic countries.
Speaking to Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency on the sidelines of a three-day meeting in Rome, Baidaulet said populations are increasing while food availability is decreasing.
The IOFS focuses on agricultural and rural development, with an emphasis on food security in OIC countries.
A U.N. report cited by Baidaulet said 100 million people in the OIC region are undernourished.
He said climate change is expected to exacerbate food insecurity in the OIC region.
Using Tunisia as an example, he said the country produces about 14-15 million tons of wheat each year. Unfortunately, only 2.5 million tons will be produced this year due to water shortages.
Due to instability and climate change, many countries in the OIC geography are facing challenges, said Baidaulet.
“And we heard about the military coup in countries like Burkina Faso and Mali … And you know the situation developing now in Sudan. There is instability in many countries of the Muslim world.”
Noting that there are many countries that support their work, he said: “We have to mention our host country, Kazakhstan, we have to mention Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and again, I would like to emphasize the continuous support from the Republic of Türkiye.”
“Türkiye is playing a very important role in the field of food security for Muslim countries. And we hope that our cooperation will be strengthened year by year,” he said.
“We hope that in coming years, our relation will be stronger. We feel this strong commitment from the Government of Türkiye and the president, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” he concluded.
One of the eight specialized institutions of the OIC, the IOFS focuses on the development of agriculture and rural development with a primary focus on widespread food scarcity and food security of the member states.
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