About 1-million who fled Myanmar are now living in squalid conditions unable to work
23 August 2022 - 17:16
byRuma Paul
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Rohingya refugees sit on wooden benches of a navy vessel on their way to the Bhasan Char island in Noakhali district, Bangladesh. Picture: REUTERS/MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN
An appeal to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is “well short of needs”, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, as refugees called on donors not to forget the crisis ahead of the fifth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar.
More than a million Rohingya are living in squalid camps in southern Bangladesh comprising the world’s largest refugee settlement, with little prospect of returning to Myanmar, where they are mostly denied citizenship and other rights.
“For the almost 1-million stateless Rohingya refugees, conditions in Bangladesh are extremely overcrowded, and they remain fully reliant on humanitarian assistance for their survival, the UNHCR said.
“The most commonly unmet needs include proper nutrition, shelter materials, sanitation facilities and livelihood opportunities,” according to a UNHCR statement.
It said its 2022 response plan sought more than $881m for more than 1.4-million people, including Rohingya refugees and more than half a million most affected host communities. So far, it is funded at only 49%, with $426.2m received.
“The support from the international community has been and is crucial in delivering life-saving protection and assistance services for Rohingya refugees, but funding is well short of needs.”
Refugees said it is crucial the world does not forget the plight of the Rohingya, who are unable to return to Myanmar but have not much of a future in Bangladesh, with no access to work.
“The global community should not forget our plight. They should help us as much as they can,” Mohammed Taher, a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, told Reuters. “We are not allowed to work here. We must depend on aid agencies for food,” he added.
The Rohingya say they want guarantees of their safety and to be recognised as citizens before returning to Myanmar. The UN says conditions are not yet right for return.
The vast majority fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during a military crackdown in 2017 that the UN has said was carried out with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide, saying it was waging a legitimate campaign against insurgents who attacked police posts. Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the violence.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Don’t forget us, plead stranded Rohingya refugees
About 1-million who fled Myanmar are now living in squalid conditions unable to work
An appeal to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is “well short of needs”, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, as refugees called on donors not to forget the crisis ahead of the fifth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar.
More than a million Rohingya are living in squalid camps in southern Bangladesh comprising the world’s largest refugee settlement, with little prospect of returning to Myanmar, where they are mostly denied citizenship and other rights.
“For the almost 1-million stateless Rohingya refugees, conditions in Bangladesh are extremely overcrowded, and they remain fully reliant on humanitarian assistance for their survival, the UNHCR said.
“The most commonly unmet needs include proper nutrition, shelter materials, sanitation facilities and livelihood opportunities,” according to a UNHCR statement.
It said its 2022 response plan sought more than $881m for more than 1.4-million people, including Rohingya refugees and more than half a million most affected host communities. So far, it is funded at only 49%, with $426.2m received.
“The support from the international community has been and is crucial in delivering life-saving protection and assistance services for Rohingya refugees, but funding is well short of needs.”
Refugees said it is crucial the world does not forget the plight of the Rohingya, who are unable to return to Myanmar but have not much of a future in Bangladesh, with no access to work.
“The global community should not forget our plight. They should help us as much as they can,” Mohammed Taher, a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, told Reuters. “We are not allowed to work here. We must depend on aid agencies for food,” he added.
The Rohingya say they want guarantees of their safety and to be recognised as citizens before returning to Myanmar. The UN says conditions are not yet right for return.
The vast majority fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during a military crackdown in 2017 that the UN has said was carried out with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide, saying it was waging a legitimate campaign against insurgents who attacked police posts. Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the violence.
Reuters
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