The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has
noted that new security concerns in Myanmar and funding uncertainties now
undermine all but the most critical and life-saving assistance to Rohingya
refugees.
As the world marks the seventh anniversary
of the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees, the UN Refugee
Agency, is again calling for sustained commitment from international partners
to support and protect nearly one million Rohingya hosted by Bangladesh, and to
help secure solutions to end their plight.
"We call for continued solidarity
from the international community through consistent financial support so
Rohingya refugees can eventually be repatriated to Myanmar, with safety,
dignity, and full rights," UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said in Geneva
at the daily briefing marking the seven years of crisis for Rohingya refugees.
The spokesperson said the refugees need
immediate assistance and help to build for the future –52% of the refugees are
under 18 years old, and many were born in asylum or spent their first years in
refugee camps.
"In 2024, humanitarian agencies
appealed for $852 million to assist some 1.35 million people, including
Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis in surrounding communities. This appeal
remains inadequately funded."
Underfunding has severely hampered
humanitarian efforts to support refugees and hosts in Bangladesh.
As a result, food rations have been
reduced in the first half of 2024; health centres face shortages of medical
personnel, specialized equipment and medicine; water quality has declined,
leading to an upsurge in cholera and hepatitis; and vocational training and
income-generation opportunities have reduced, said the spokesperson.
Seven years ago, on 25 August 2017, some
700,000 Rohingya men, women and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek
protection in Bangladesh.
The generous support from Bangladesh and
the international community has been critical in meeting the refugees’ most
basic needs and providing protection.
In Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the escalated
conflict has only worsened conditions for the Rohingya: internal displacement
is at an all-time high, with more than 3.3 million people displaced within the
country.
Among them, at least 128,800 are in
northern Rakhine in Buthidaung, Rathedaung and Maungdaw Townships.
The fighting can be heard by Bangladeshi
communities living close to the border, the UNHCR said.
As the conflict in Myanmar continues
unabated, UNHCR is closely monitoring the situation at the border, providing
life-saving assistance, and advocating with the Bangladesh authorities for
access to asylum for civilians fleeing Myanmar.
Dignified, voluntary and sustainable
return to Myanmar remains the primary solution to this crisis and UNHCR calls
on the international community to demonstrate the political will to make this
possible.
UNHCR also welcomes the renewed commitment
to the refugees, made by Dr Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of Bangladesh’s
interim government, on August 18.
Bangladesh is also facing catastrophic
flash floods affecting millions of its citizens.
"Here, UNHCR has immediately made
available water purification tablets, hygiene kits, jerrycans and tarpaulins
from its existing humanitarian stockpiles to support communities hosting
refugees."
Two inflatable rescue boats have also been
deployed in Feni, in south-eastern Bangladesh. The country cannot be left to
shoulder this crisis alone, the spokesperson said.
"More systematic and sustained global
support is needed for countries like Bangladesh which are exposed to extreme
weather conditions and natural disasters that are becoming more frequent due to
climate change.
"We urge donors and private actors to
step up funding to the Rohingya refugee response in a timely manner. Without
sustained financial backing, including addressing the needs of new arrivals, a
broader humanitarian crisis may be around the corner.
"The Rohingya people deserve our
support, as do the generous people of Bangladesh."
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