OIC pledges $4m to victims of Kordofan conflict

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday pledged USD four million to the victims of the Kordofan region, south Sudan. Announcing the donation at a press conference here, the OIC Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs Ata Al-Mannan condemned the attacks of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on civilians in Umm Ruwaba and Abu Karshola towns in North Kordofan State. "The OIC donation will cover almost a half of the humanitarian needs of the region estimated at USD eight million," he said, noting that other donor will cover the remaining cost. Al-Mannan reaffirmed the OIC commitment to the alliance of 15 aid agencies, including UN agencies, working for stabilizing the situations in Sudan. Al-Mannan, who leads an OIC delegation to Sudan, made the remarks after his meeting with head of Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) Suleiman Abdulrahman Suleiman. Al-Mannan added that he conveyed to Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir a message of solidarity from the Muslim world. The SPLM-N rebels launched a large-scale attack on the North Kordofan State last month, which displaced some 40,000 residents.