Representatives from 56 countries gather in Jeddah to discuss digital transformation and strengthen global humanitarian efforts JEDDAH: The fifth consultative meeting between the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent and the National Societies of the Red Crescent and Red Cross in the OIC member states started on Sunday in Jeddah. The event, hosted by the Saudi Red Crescent Authority under the patronage of Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, will run until July 26. The meeting, attended by representatives of national societies from 56 countries and several senior officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, aims at consolidating efforts and facilitating joint humanitarian action. President of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority Jalal Al-Owaisi said that this latest meeting aims at enhancing cooperation, enabling exchange of expertise, and developing the skills and capabilities of Red Crescent and Red Cross societies. Organizations will have the opportunity to review their experiences, which could be a model to be implemented in other countries, he said. The meeting, centered around the theme “Constant Connection for a Lasting Impact,” aims to streamline collaborative humanitarian actions, and it seeks to unite various organizations and entities with the goal of promoting the international movement and reflecting on humanitarian efforts. Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the OIC, emphasized the need to create plans that will improve the humanitarian action ecosystem in the Islamic world. A more ambitious vision is necessary to address the challenges faced in this field, given the frequent occurrence of disasters that require immediate relief efforts to save lives, he said. Taha said that it is the duty of Muslims to offer aid and assistance to their fellow brethren in times of need. He expressed the OIC’s readiness to collaborate with the ICIC and the national societies of the Red Crescent and Red Cross in the member states. The agenda of the first day of the meeting included a discussion of “digital transformation in humanitarian work.” The meeting was accompanied by an exhibition titled “A Touch of Humanity.”