The President, IDB has appealed to philanthropists as well as local, regional and international relief agencies and organizations to help the wounded and displaced persons before they are devoured by disease, starvation and dehydration and thus stave off a major humanitarian disaster. He stated that failure to provide relief assistance as soon as possible the elderly, women and children will be the victims of such a disaster.

The President, IDB met yesterday the Prime Minister of Somalia, Mr. Ali Mohamed Ghidi at the Jeddah Conference Palace. The latter requested the Bank to help finance the Mogadishu Port Rehabilitation Project given its importance as Somalia’s link with the overseas.

It may be recalled that the Islamic Development Bank has so far approved financing estimated at US$ 67 million. It has comprised infrastructure development projects such as education, health, water supply, animal husbandry as well as grants and emergency aid worth over US$ 10 million designed to boost relief assistance as well as locust and drought control and to build and equip clinics, institutes and vocational training centres.

The IDB has also so far granted scholarships to -107- university students reading medicine, pharmacology, engineering, agriculture and computer science. 25 physicians and engineers have so far graduated among them.