Don’t turn away from Rohingya’s plight, UK urges world
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the new funding for the refugees in Bangladesh and assistance for the country to deal with Covid-19 pandemic.
Committing £47.5 million in new UK aid, the Boris Johnson government on Thursday urged the world not to forget the plight of the Rohingyas who have taken refuge in Bangladesh and other countries, after facing oppression in Myanmar since 2017.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced the new funding for the refugees in Bangladesh and assistance for the country to deal with Covid-19 pandemic. A pledging conference for more funds co-hosted by the UK, US, EU and the UNHCR is scheduled for Thursday.
The Foreign Office said that nearly 860,000 Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, without formal education or work opportunities. Coronavirus has made the situation in the packed and unsanitary camps even more desperate.
The funding is intended to provide hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people with food, healthcare, water and sanitation, as well as care and counselling for those traumatised by violence. It will also improve access to education for 50,000 young people, as well as create isolation and treatment centres for people suffering from coronavirus.
Raab said: “The people living in Cox’s Bazar face unimaginable hardship and many have been victims of violence. We have imposed sanctions on the perpetrators of this brutality, and this new funding will save lives in the camp and help Bangladesh become more resilient to disasters such as coronavirus.”
“Today I urge the world not to turn away from the Rohingya’s suffering and to take the action necessary to allow them to safely return to the homes they fled in terror.”
The Foreign Office added that according to UN estimates, $1 billion is needed this year to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh but so far, less than half of that has been raised.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya reportedly left Myanmar in 2017 to escape violence. Since then, the UK has imposed sanctions on two generals in the Myanmar military, as recommended by a UN independent investigation, which found them responsible for atrocities which amount to ethnic cleansing.
Thursday’s announcement brings the total UK aid commitment to the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh close to £300 million, including £37.5 million to provide humanitarian assistance in Cox’s Bazar and £10mn in support for Bangladesh to help the country respond to coronavirus and natural disasters such as flooding.
