Rohingya
US announces $26m more in assistance for Rohingyas, host communities
The United States has announced around USD 26 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the region, for those in Myanmar affected by the ongoing violence, and for the communities hosting refugees from the country.
“With this new funding, our total assistance for those affected by the Rakhine State and Rohingya crisis has reached nearly $2.1 billion since August of 2017, when over 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh,” US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said in a regular media briefing in Washington.
This new funding would allow USA’s humanitarian partners to continue providing lifesaving assistance to affected communities on both sides of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, including nearly 980,000 Rohingya refugees hosted by Bangladesh, some 740,000 of whom arrived in the months following August 2017 when they were forced to flee genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and other horrific atrocities and abuses perpetrated by Myanmar’s military in Rakhine State, he said.
Also Read: Rohingya repatriation top priority in JRP 2023, US$ 876m sought
This funding will also provide assistance to nearly 540,000 Bangladeshi host community members and to others affected by ongoing violence in Myanmar.
The United States appreciated the generosity of the Government of Bangladesh and other nations and the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people in hosting Rohingya refugees, especially now that “we are in the sixth year of this protracted crisis,” he added.
“We remain committed to working towards durable solutions to the crisis, and we’ll continue to partner with the Government of Bangladesh, the Rohingya community, host communities, and people inside Burma to ensure a coordinated and well-supported response to this humanitarian crisis,” Ned Price said.
The international community, he said, must remain steadfast in their commitment to alleviating the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people, including through the Rohingya crisis response.
Also Read: JRP 2023 launched: IOM in $125m appeal for Rohingyas, hosts.
Rohingya repatriation top priority in JRP 2023, US$ 876m sought
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam has called for robust international efforts to expedite repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh to their homeland Myanmar.
With its limited resources and inadequate external support Bangladesh has to continue the humanitarian operation until the repatriation process for over one million Rohingyas is complete.
In this context, the State Minister urged the international community to contribute generously to the humanitarian aid fund for them.
He made the appeal while addressing the launching of Joint Response Plan (JRP) 2023 for Rohingyas in Geneva on March 7.
Also Read: JRP 2023 launched: IOM in $125m appeal for Rohingyas, hosts
The State Minister also requested all humanitarian partners to prioritize sectors covering the basic necessities like food, health, site management and shelter, etc. in their assistance.
Recalling that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had opened the borders of Bangladesh to save the lives of Rohingyas back in 2016 and 2017 despite its serious ramification on the economy, environment, security, and socio-political stability of Bangladesh, State Minister Alam briefed the audience of Bangladesh’s numerous efforts, including development of Bhasan Char with its own resources to improve the living standards of the Rohingyas, ensure their education, and skills development opportunities.
Mentioning that Bangladesh is the largest donor, spending around 1.69 billion USD last year for the massive humanitarian operations for Rohingyas, ensuring safety and security in and around camps, restoration of the environment, and mitigation of sufferings of the Rohingyas and the host community, State Minister Alam warned that the impasse over commencing return of the Rohingyas to their home country might affect the security and stability of the entire region and jeopardize development initiatives.
Repatriation has been mentioned as the top priority in JRP 2023.
Also Read: UNHCR, partners seek $876m for Rohingyas facing uncertainty, Bangladeshi hosts
Under JRP 2023 an amount of USD 876 million has been sought and a chapter on Bhasan Char has been added.
The State Minister recalled that 62.7% of the pledged amount under JRP 2022 was funded and it was quite challenging to meet the needs of the growing Rohingya population and mitigate the sufferings of the host community in Bangladesh with the received donation.
He also said that the Ukraine War and other multiple crises have worsened the funding crisis for Rohingyas.
The State Minister expressed concern over the disinformation or biased projection of the government’s efforts to arrange education, skill development initiatives and even improve the security situation for the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
Read More: US announces $26m more in assistance for Rohingyas, host communities
He also remarked that uncertainty to commence repatriation is often being used as a domestic political tool by opposition parties in Bangladesh, projecting it as a failure of the present government.
The State Minister urged all to check the ground reality prevailing in Bangladesh and talk to the government before relying on those “concocted stories”.
Co-sponsored by the UNHCR and IOM, the JRP for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis was attended by ambassadors/permanent representatives of member states of the UN, representatives of NGO, INGOs, media, academician, and officials of UN bodies.
Appreciating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s generosity in allowing Rohingyas to take shelter in Bangladesh and various efforts of Bangladesh including education for forcibly displaced Rohingyas, UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Director General of the International Organization for Migration also called upon the international community to provide increased humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas in their dire need.
Read More: Rohingya crisis not forgotten: EU high representative
They also acknowledged that repatriation is key to resolving the Rohingya crisis and Myanmar has to demonstrate political will to that end.
The EU, US, Norway, Switzerland, Australia and some other donor countries announced their respective contributions for the Rohingyas for 2023 in the JRP event.
The State Minister also met with High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk at the UN Office in Geneva and briefed him of the efforts made by the government under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina to promote and protect human rights of all. He reiterated the government’s commitment to consistent engagement with the UN human rights mechanisms.
The State Minister briefed the High Commissioner about Rohingya camp situations in Cox’s Bazar and the newly built Bhasan Char shelter.
Read More: BURMA Act: Military support to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar 'may undermine' Bangladesh’s security
He emphasized burden sharing by the international community and its stronger commitment to their right to return and to ensuring justice and accountability for them.
High Commissioner Volker Turk applauded Bangladesh’s outstanding advancements in socio-economic arena, and its engagement with UN mechanisms. He praised Bangladesh’s humanitarian leadership in sheltering Rohingyas and efforts to advance world peace.
Collaborative efforts can prevent diarrhoea outbreaks in Rohingya population: icddr,b
Icddr,b and UNICEF on Sunday jointly organised a dissemination seminar to highlight the activities of the project titled “Emergency Healthcare (Acute Watery Diarrhoea-AWD preparedness and response) and Sentinel Cholera Surveillance in Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) camps and host communities in Cox's Bazar.”
The seminar was held at Long Beach Hotel, Cox’s Bazar and was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, development partners and NGOs.
Dr Baharul Alam, co-principal investigator and Head of Hospitals at icddr,b, presented the project's overview and informed about a rapid joint field assessment conducted by icddr,b and UNICEF after the Rohingya population fled persecution in Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh in August 2017.
The project aims to prevent diarrheal outbreaks through disease surveillance, treatment, capacity building and vaccination. icddr,b established five diarrheal treatment centres (DTC) in Teknaf with UNICEF's support, which helped manage an AWD outbreak in September 2019.
Since 2018, icddr,b has trained 2,000 healthcare providers with the collaboration of UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Leda DTC continues to operate, treating around 3,500 patients yearly and participating in the joint assessment team led by WHO.
Dr ASG Faruque, emeritus scientist at icddr,b presented the findings of the DTC-based diarrhoeal diseases surveillance and informed that FDMN children had shown significant improvements in stunting, underweight, and wasting.
Over the last five years, chlorinated tap water, use of toilets, ORS and vaccination coverage have also increased significantly in the Rohingya communities. Dr Ashraful Islam Khan, Scientist at icddr,b presented on the cholera sentinel surveillance, which has been underway in partnership with the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and supported by UNICEF.
He informed that the surveillance has been instrumental in finding appropriate strategies and providing necessary directives for controlling cholera outbreaks in the camps.
Dr Firdausi Qadri, Acting Senior Director, Infectious Disease Division at icddr,b, presented the success of oral cholera vaccination campaigns in a complex humanitarian crisis setting in Cox's Bazar. She informed that seven rounds of cholera vaccination campaigns in the Rohingya camps have resulted in high levels of coverage, reaching 100% in some settings.
About 900,000 Rohingya people received 3,765,499 vaccine doses, and 528,297 individuals living in close proximity to the FDMNs in the host communities received 895,688 doses of OCVs.
The vaccine was well accepted, demonstrating the feasibility of delivering oral cholera vaccine (OCV) in complex refugee settings.
She said, “These oral cholera vaccination campaigns among Rohingya and the host population have been successful in preventing cholera outbreaks and epidemics in the area, as evidenced by the absence of major outbreaks. This has been achieved by the dynamic leadership and support from RRRC, CDC-DGHS, IEDCR, WHO, UNICEF, and other partners.”
The presentations were followed by remarks from Dr Mainul Hasan, Health Specialist at UNICEF and Dr Jorge Martínez, WHO, Cox’s Bazar, as well as speeches from special guests, Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, Civil Surgeon, Cox's Bazar and Mohammed Miznur Rahman, Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, Government of Bangladesh, and the Chair Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director at icddr,b.
Dr Hasan appreciated icddr,b and said, “UNICEF is proud to be a part of this successful journey of controlling acute watery diarrhoeal disease in the Rohingya setting. The works need to be continued, and we believe we will be able to keep the diseases checked together.”
Dr Martinez, in his address, highlighted the importance of disease surveillance, vaccination and other measures and requested icddr,b to explore ways to help strengthen local capacities in Cox’s Bazar for rapid diagnosis of diseases.
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed commended the collaborative efforts of the government and development partners, stating, "The collaborative effort not only prevented any diarrhoeal outbreaks from occurring and saving lives, but it also generated a great deal of evidence that will be useful in other parts of the world for managing humanitarian crises."
Despite the success so far, it is clear that sustained efforts are needed to prevent future outbreaks in the camp settings. Along with vaccination, strong and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene intervention, a comprehensive surveillance system, and proper case management are necessary to prevent diarrhoeal outbreaks in humanitarian crisis settings.
The successful vaccination campaigns demonstrate the importance of a multi-sectoral approach in addressing the complex health challenges faced in refugee camps.
The partnerships and collaboration between humanitarian organisations, local authorities, and the community have been essential in achieving these results.
Rohingya youth shot dead in Ukhiya camp
A Rohingya youth was shot dead by miscreants at Ukhiya Rohingya camp on Friday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Rafiq, 35, son of Dil Mohammad and resident of A/9 block of Ukhiya Rohingya camp-19.
Farooq Ahmad, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Farooq Ahmad of APBN-8, said that 10-15 armed miscreants abducted Rafiq from his own block of camp-19 and shot him to death on the spot.
The body was handed over to the police after recovery, said the ASP adding that efforts are going on to identify and arrest those involved in the incident.
Rohingya crisis not forgotten: EU high representative
High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has assured of the international organisation's continuous humanitarian support to deal with the needs of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.
"This crisis is not forgotten. The EU remains one of the largest humanitarian donors, with €287 million since 2017," he said after his meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam in New Delhi on Friday.
Also Read: Food rationing for Rohingyas a 'matter of life and death': UN expert
They discussed today's global crises – climate change and vulnerabilities of the LDCs as well as the Rohingya refugees hosted by Bangladesh.
"Great to meet Josep Borrell, high representative of foreign affairs of the EU, to talk about the bilateral relationship and world affairs, including the Rohingya crisis," said Shahriar.
Rohingya community leader shot dead in Cox's Bazar
Another leader of the Rohingya community was shot dead by unknown assailants in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar district on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Mohammad Selim, 28, a sub-majhi (deputy head) of Kutupalong camp.
Read more: 2 Rohingya children sustain bullet wounds in Cox’s Bazar gunfight
Sheikh Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Ukhia Police Station, said Selim was out overseeing the field-level work of volunteers on Wednesday night. Suddenly, a group of miscreants opened fire on him, leaving him seriously injured.
He was first taken to the MSF Hospital serving the Rohingya camp and later shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for better treatment, the OC said.
Selim died around 12:30pm on Thursday while undergoing treatment at the hospital, added the OC.
Read more: Japan, UNHCR sign $4.5 million agreement to support Rohingyas in Bangladesh
Additional Deputy Inspector General (ADIG) Shayed Harun-ur-Rashid, commander of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN), said Selim might have been killed over establishing supremacy in the area.
"Efforts are on to arrest those involved in the murder," he added.
BURMA Act: Military support to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar 'may undermine' Bangladesh’s security
Brig Gen (Retd) M. Sakhawat Hussain today (February 22, 2023) said that using a liberal interpretation of the non-lethal assistance clause may allow the United States to provide military support to the various ethnic armed organizations (EAO) in Myanmar which “may undermine” Bangladesh’s security as these groups have some ties to the same separatist factions operating in the country.
He made the remarks while addressing at a colloquium on Impacts of “BURMA Act” on Bangladesh-Myanmar bordering region.
Minister of Health and Education, National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar Professor Zaw Wai Soe today expressed gratitude for the passing of the BURMA Act and for US support.
He, however, reiterated that it does not rely on any one single superpower, rather believes in a multilateral response to be the ideal way to address the current conflict.
Also Read: US to refrain from anything that might contribute to further violence in Myanmar: FS
NUG officially recognizes the Rohingya as an ethnic group of Myanmar and is in favour of peaceful and full repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
It has been two years since the military coup in Myanmar, and there is no peace in sight.
Late last December, the United States passed the BURMA Act, a comprehensive law designed to simultaneously sanction Myanmar’s military junta while providing support to the country’s numerous democratic forces.
In view of these changes, the Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) at North South University hosted the colloquium.
Read More: Japan, UNFPA join hands to provide $3.7 million assistance to Rihingyas in Bhasan Char, host communities in Noakhali
Moderated by Dr Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Director of SIPG, the seminar was addressed by SIPG Senior Fellow and former Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Dr M. Sakhawat Hussain; Sufiur Rahman, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Switzerland and the permanent representative to the UN; former Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque; and Dr Raymond Kwun-Sun Lau, Assistant professor at the Department of Political Science and Sociology of NSU.
Mohammad Sufiur Rahman highlighted the emergence of the Arakan Army as a key player in the conflict and emphasized how reaching a resolution on the Rohingya issue between Bangladesh and Myanmar cannot be achieved without taking the Arakan Army’s interests into account.
Shahidul Haque discussed ASEAN’s role in the conflict and pointed to its repeated shortcomings in addressing the conflict in Myanmar, drawing particular attention to its negligence in understanding the plight of the numerous ethnic minorities in the country.
Dr Raymond Kwun-Sun Lau, underscored the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Rakhine State to regional powers such as India and China, both for its vast reserves of hydrocarbons as well as its location as a key area for connectivity projects that links India to its northeast region and reinforces China’s Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI) respectively.
Read More: Reduction in WFP assistance could drive up crimes, radicalization in Rohingya camps: ARSPH
The event was also attended by experts and practitioners of geopolitics, representatives from international agencies, government officials, researchers, journalists, faculty members and students of NSU.
Reduction in WFP assistance could drive up crimes, radicalization in Rohingya camps: ARSPH
The Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), a group based in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, has expressed deep concerns about the recent announcement that the World Food Programme (WFP) will have to reduce its general food assistance voucher value from USD 12 to USD 10 per person per month, due to a USD 125 million funding shortfall.
“As refugees living in the camp, we know first-hand how difficult it is to survive on even $12 per month, and this reduction is likely to have a devastating impact on the already dire situation of our community. It is hard to fathom how we are going to survive on $10 per month when even with $12 per month, people are struggling to make ends meet,” reads a press release signed by Abdur Rahim, vice-chairman of ARSPH.
Also Read: UN experts for immediate funding to avert food ration cuts for Rohingyas
The reduction of food assistance is likely to lead to a host of new challenges, including extortion, prostitution, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and radicalization, noted the release, adding, “The desperation of our people will create an environment in which these activities thrive, leaving the most vulnerable members of our community at great risk.”
The group pleaded the international community to take urgent action to ensure that the ration sizes do not get cut.
“It is unacceptable that we, as refugees, are being forced to bear the burden of a funding shortfall that is not of our making. The international community must take responsibility for ensuring that we receive the assistance we need to survive,” it said.
Read More: South Korea reaffirms its support for ultimate resolution of Rohingya crisis
On behalf of the Rohingya community, they urged the World Food Programme and other humanitarian organizations to find alternative sources of funding to make up for the shortfall.
“We call on donor countries to increase their contributions to the Rohingya crisis. Our lives depend on it, and we implore the international community not to turn a blind eye to our plight,” it added.
South Korea reaffirms its support for ultimate resolution of Rohingya crisis
Sympathizing with the diminishing hope and frustration of the Rohingyas as the repatriation to their homeland is prolonged and as the prospect is dim, South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun has stressed that there is no other way but to repatriate the Rohingyas to Myanmar for the ultimate resolution of the crisis.
Reaffirming Korea’s continued support for the protection of refugees forcibly relocated to Cox’s Bazar, Ambassador Lee expressed Korea’s interest in strengthening the host community, supporting the vulnerable population in particular women and children and refugees with disability.
Since the outbreak of the Rohingya refugee crisis in 2017, the government of the Republic of Korea has been supporting the operations of the UN agencies and other international organizations in Bangladesh for their humanitarian works in the refugee camp and host community including in Bashan Char.
The total amount of Korea’s funding so far is over twenty-three million US dollars. UNHCR is the biggest recipient of Korea's funding followed by UNICEF, IOM, WFP, IFRC and UNFPA. In addition to the government funding, JTS Korea, a Korean Buddhist NGO, provided a total of 200,000 gas stoves to the refugee camp in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
Cox's Bazar: Rohingya man held with one lakh yaba pills
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said they detained a Rohingya man with one lakh yaba pills from the Ukhiya border area on Thursday.
The detainee was identified as Sharif Hossain, 21, son of Bashir Ahmed of Kutupalong Rohingya camp of Ukhiya upazila.
Tipped off, a team of BGB conducted a raid at Tulatuli Joliler Goda of Rajapalong union, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Saiful Islam Chowdhury, commanding officer of 34th BGB Battalion, said.
Hot on the trail of potential "drug smugglers," BGB detained Sharif with one lakh contraband yaba pills as was trying to smuggle the cheap synthetic drug from Myanmar into Bangladesh.
The detainee and the yaba pills were handed over to Ukiya Police Station, Saiful said.
Read more: Yaba smuggling: 8 Rohingyas get life term jail in Cox’s Bazar