UNHCR
“We are Rohingya” photo exhibition begins in Cox’s Bazar
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in partnership with the Cox’s Bazar Art Club has launched a two-week photo exhibition called “Aara Rohingya’” or “We are Rohingya”, showcasing photos taken by ten Rohingya refugees and allowing for an intimate look into what life is like for people living in the largest refugee camp in the world.
The exhibition that began on Thursday, will run till September 14 at the Cox’s Bazar Cultural Center.
Based on the Rohingyatographer magazine, this exhibit allows visitors to learn more about the individuals who have found refuge in Bangladesh, after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar five years ago.
“Through photography, Rohingya youth are telling their stories and document their collective memory and cultural heritage. The exhibit also shows how the lived memories of millions of Bangladeshis who were uprooted during the Liberation War inspired their generosity to host the persecuted Rohingya from neighbouring Myanmar.” says Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh.
Read: Repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar ultimate solution: S Korea
Humanizing refugees
Human civilization has evolved at different paces in multiple and conflicting directions over the course of known history.
Slavery is a thing of the past, yet we intermittently get news of modern-day slavery in sweatshops in different parts of the world. Racism is frowned upon, still, we see examples of rampant racial prejudice even in the most civilized nations of the world. But there is still hope. Thinkers and wise men are continuously pushing the boundaries of conventional thoughts to hasten the process of evolution in the right direction. Hence, we hear concepts like speciesism at a time when we are still fighting a global plague of xenophobia and racism.
The progress from eliminating racism today to a future where speciesism gets mainstream traction is a distant road to be taken for our human race. But this piece is not about the thoughts of the non-conformist philosophers who despise the thought of the human race plundering mother earth and its millions of species sharing the world we live in. This piece is about the major milestones that are far more pressing and long overdue.
One such milestone is creating a world where each human being has the right to belong, right to a state, and right to basic rights irrespective of creed, color, or anything that differentiates one from another. A civilized world cannot bear to see stateless human beings living with the constant fear of persecution. No matter how evolved we are with our technological advancements and refined way of living, if the fruits of our collective achievements are devoid of empathy towards millions who are not given the basic privileges of human existence, we cannot celebrate nor take rest.
This crucial aspect of human evolution needs more attention. As an artist, I lived in my own microcosm like most of us in our little selfish lives. But it all changed when I started working closely with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and started visiting the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. The continuous interaction with refugees made me realize that the things we take for granted are so coveted by many. Even a selfish human being with a minimum sense of empathy would agree that this global crisis with a very local presence needs more attention.
Read:Myanmar: Hanging activists in a ruined economy
We cannot turn a blind eye to the refugee crisis at home and across the world and accept it as normal. Five years on from the mass exodus of the Rohingya, their displacement in Bangladesh has become protracted. Some 930,000 are living in Bangladesh today. Prolonged exile is unacceptable. We must support them until they can safely return home because all human beings deserve to live full and dignified lives.
UNHCR has confirmed its commitment and called on other humanitarians to deepen the support to the generous Bangladesh government and people hosting the Rohingya. We have moved past the initial emergency phase of this crisis and are working to ensure that refugees are protected and have access to basic services and rights. This includes providing access to education, skills development training and livelihoods, which are also key to prepare them for return so they may rebuild their lives and communities.
Though the host community has been very gracious in accepting refugees, some have not been very congenial, which is normal considering we still live in a world where xenophobia and racism are not something we have been able to eradicate.
We must raise our voices to make sure that exile and marginalization of the Rohingya people do not become normalized. And as time progresses, I’m increasingly convinced that this refugee crisis at home and also globally can only be solved with a concerted effort by world leaders. The solutions are political, and the Rohingya will only be able to return once Myanmar ensures their safety and access to rights. But on a philosophical level, more concerted efforts on educating the next generation about racism and xenophobia are more important. Only then may we have leaders who understand that every single human being has the right to belong, a right to a state, and access to basic rights irrespective of creed, color, or anything that differentiates one from another.
Tahsan Khan is the Goodwill Ambassador of UNHCR in Bangladesh
UNHCR seeks more support from international community for Rohingyas
UNHCR has appealed for further investment from the international community to ensure Rohingya refugees can benefit from skills development, including vocational training and other forms of capacity-building for adolescent and adult refugees.
This will allow refugees to support their communities and live with dignity in Bangladesh, and above all to prepare them for rebuilding their lives when they can voluntarily and safely return to Myanmar, said the UN agency on Tuesday.
The support from the international community has been and is crucial in delivering lifesaving protection and assistance services for Rohingya refugees but funding is well short of needs, UNHCR said.
Read: Nearly 1 mn still await life at world's largest displacement camp
The 2022 response plan seeks over US$881 million for more than 1.4 million people, including Rohingya refugees and more than half a million most affected host communities, and is so far funded at only 49 per cent, with US$426.2 million received.
Together, UNHCR said, the international community must do more to ensure that the Rohingya do not continue to languish in displacement and redouble efforts for increased political dialogue and diplomatic engagement to create conditions for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return.
Specialized Hospital starts journey in Ukhiya
A new hospital has started its journey in Ukhiya of Cox's Bazar to strengthen specialized health services, improving the lives and wellbeing of people living in the area.
State Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman inaugurated the Specialized Hospital on Tuesday.
The hospital, which was constructed and equipped by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, will provide specialist treatment for lifesaving interventions and secondary care for patients living in the Ukhiya area, including Rohingya refugees.
Read: UNHCR Goodwill envoy Tahsan meets Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar
“This hospital is a milestone for Ukhiya. The facility offers medical treatment long sought for but until now not available in the area. The hospital has been set up by UNHCR and its partners, thanks to generous funding by the Government of Japan. We trust that the Ukhiya community will help take care of the facilities to ensure its future”, said Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman.
With timely specialist consultations, the Ukhiya Specialized Hospital will reduce the need for patients to travel to Cox’s Bazar or Chattogram for treatment and make services more accessible for people with limited financial resources.
It will provide outpatient surgery, dental care, eye care, orthopaedic and trauma care, physical rehabilitation, and palliative care.
These services will be supported by a laboratory, medical imaging, such as X-ray, ultrasound and echography, as well as new telemedicine services through virtual consultations by specialists.
The services are currently delivered by UNHCR partners Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Orbis International and Relief International, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
An MoU signed between UNHCR, MoDMR and MoH on 30 June states that, in three years, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will progressively take over responsibility for the management and resourcing of the facility.
”I pay tribute to the medical and administrative staff which has started working in the hospital. Serving both the local community and the Rohingya refugee population contributes to mutual understanding of each other’s needs, living conditions and well-being,” said Johannes Van Der Klaauw, UNHCR Representative.
Read: UNHCR, Liberation War Museum launches ‘We are Rohingya’ photo exhibition
The State Minister and UNHCR Representative were accompanied by Md Kamrul Hasan , sectetay, Prof. Dr. Meerjady Sabrina Flora, Additional Director General of Health Services, Shah Rezwan Hayat, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Taskforce Commander Brigadier Azahar, Hiroyuki Yamaya, Minister for the Embassy of Japan, and Ita Schuette Head of UNHCR Cox’s Bazar.
“This new hospital will facilitate access to specialised care, same-day surgeries and other services scarcely available in Cox’s Bazar. I sincerely hope that this project will contribute to better health and living conditions for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar”, said Mr. Hiroyuki Yamaya, Minister of the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh.
The Government of Japan contributed USD 1.7 million for the construction of in-patient facilities, installation of medical equipment, and procurement of medical items for the hospital.
For additional information please contact:
Regina De La Portilla, Communications Officer, [email protected]; +880 1 847 327 279
UNHCR Goodwill envoy Tahsan meets Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar
The UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR’s) Goodwill Ambassador Tahsan Khan has visited Cox's Bazar and met with young Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis to learn about their needs, hopes and dreams, to mark World Refugee Day.
The Goodwill Ambassador also expressed his concern for the people of Sylhet and appreciated the donation of 3 million Aquatabs from UNHCR, that will help cover safe drinking water needs of thousands of people affected by the emergency, said the UN Refugee Agency on Monday.
During a meeting with young Rohingya artists, including painters, musicians and photographers, the refugees expressed how using art and music has been their only way to heal from the trauma they experienced when violence and persecution uprooted them from their homes.
“I want to thank you for reminding me that as artists we don’t only create music or arts for entertainment. We also create art to heal from our own trauma or the trauma of our people. It is a very strong message, I am taking this with me”, said Tahsan Khan.
Also Read: Evaly scam case: Actor Tahsan gets anticipatory bail
Next to the Camp in Charge Mahfuzur Rahman, and UNHCR’s Head of Cox’s Bazar Office Ita Shuette, Tahsan Khan judged a talent contest, where Rohingya refugees sang traditional folksongs remembering their home-country and helping them keep their cultural heritage alive.
“When I met with refugees, they expressed their desire to return home soon but also the fear they still feel of doing so without their basic rights and safety being ensured. It is such a strong feeling that it inspired a song by a young Rohingya, who desperately expressed his hopes of going back home and leaving behind the refugee life”, said Tahsan Khan
UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador also met with over 100 Bangladeshi students from Ukhiya college, who expressed their concerns and hopes, and who finished by singing the popular Alo Alo song, together with him.
"You, the people of Ukhiya, showed the world what humanity is. You feel the pain of others, and that is what makes us human," recognized Tahsan Khan.
As one in every 100 displaced persons in the world is a Rohingya refugee living in Bangladesh, Tahsan Khan underlined the importance of global solidarity and confirmed his support to Bangladesh and the Rohingya refugees to continue calling for international support to find solutions for these communities and a safe and dignified return for the Rohingya refugees.
“We should all think and do our part so that this crisis gets easier to solve. We should join in harmony, so that we all can live together peacefully till the Rohingya refugees are peacefully repatriated” expressed Tahsan Khan.
UNHCR, Liberation War Museum launches ‘We are Rohingya’ photo exhibition
A three-week photo exhibition titled "Amra Rohingya" or "We are Rohingya" organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in partnership with the Liberation War Museum (LWM) began on Sunday at the Temporary Gallery of LWM, Agargaon in the capital.The exhibition is taking place to mark this year's World Refugee Day, showcasing photos taken by Rohingya refugees and allowing for an intimate look into what life is like for people living in the largest refugee camp in the world.Based on the Rohingyatographer magazine showcasing the photographs of ten talented Rohingya artists living in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, this exhibit allows visitors to learn more about the individuals who have found refuge in Bangladesh, after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar.
Read: Rohingyas to stage demo on SundayThis photographic exhibition explores themes of memory, hope, dreams, faith, beauty, craftsmanship, grief, loss, and love among the Rohingya refugees through 50 photographs.Curated by David Palazón, Sahat Zia Hero, Amena Khatun and supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the exhibition features photography by Sahat Zia Hero, Ro Yassin Abdumonaf, Shahida Win, Azimul Hasson, Md Jamal, Abdullah Khin Maung Thein, Hujjat Ullah, Enayat Khan, Md Iddris and Omal Kahir.Additionally, 11 photographs from the Liberation War Museum archives have generously been included, showing the lives and stories of Bangladeshi nationals, who in 1971 were forced to flee and live as refugees, during the Liberation War.
Over 100 million now forcibly displaced: UNHCR
Worldwide food insecurity, climate crisis, the war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan, forced around 100 million people to flee their homes, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said Thursday.
Today, one in every 78 people on earth is displaced; it is a "dramatic milestone" that few would have expected a decade ago, the agency added.
By the end of 2021, the number displaced by war, violence, persecution and human rights abuses stood at 89.3 million, according to the UNHCR's annual Global Trends report.
That was up eight percent from 2020 and "well over double the figure of 10 years ago," the report's authors said, attributing last year's increase to numerous escalating conflicts "and new ones that flared."
"Every year of the last decade, the numbers climbed," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. "Either the international community comes together to take action to address this human tragedy, resolve conflicts and find lasting solutions, or this terrible trend will continue."
The 100 million displaced figure was reached in May, 10 weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted a global cereal and fertiliser shortage from these major exporters.
In all, 23 countries with a combined population of 850 million faced "medium or high-intensity conflicts," the UN agency said, citing World Bank data.
Among the 89.3 million globally displaced last year, 27.1 million were refugees – 21.3 million under the UNHCR's mandate, and 5.8 million Palestinians under the care of the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA.
Another 53.2 million were internally displaced people, 4.6 million asylum seekers, and 4.4 million Venezuelans left with little option but to flee their country's economic and political crisis.
Data from the UNHCR report underscored the crucial role played by the world's developing nations in sheltering displaced people, with low and middle-income nations hosting more than four in five of the world's refugees.
With 3.8 million refugees within its borders, Türkiye hosts the largest number of refugees, followed by Colombia, with 1.8 million (including Venezuelan nationals), Uganda and Pakistan (1.5 million each) and Germany (1.3 million).
Also read: Nearly 37 million children displaced worldwide: UNICEF
Forced displacement hit record high in 2021, very few able to go home
The number of people displaced by conflict, violence, persecution and human rights abuses rose for the tenth straight year in 2021 to reach the highest level since records began, according to the latest Global Trends report released Thursday by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
“Either the international community comes together to take action to address this human tragedy, resolve conflicts and find lasting solutions, or this terrible trend will continue,” said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
Since the start of this year, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide to over 100 million.
But according to the detailed data in the report, last year’s numbers were already at record levels.
At the end of 2021, the number of people forced to flee their homes reached 89.3 million, up 8 per cent over the year before and well over double the figure of 10 years ago.
That figure included a record 27.1 million refugees and 53.2 million internally displaced people (those who fled their homes but remained inside their country).
READ: Possible security threats likely to complicate Rohingya crisis: Experts
The number also included 4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad and 4.6 million asylum seekers.
Last year’s increase was fueled by new and existing emergencies, including events leading to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August, which caused widespread displacement within the country and across borders.
Conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia forced at least 2.5 million people to flee within the country, with some 1.5 million returning to their homes later in the year.
In Myanmar, a military takeover in February 2021 caused violence that forced many to flee, while the number of Venezuelans displaced abroad grew by more than 500,000 last year.
Of the estimated 1.4 million refugees in need of resettlement in 2021 – including children and adolescents, survivors of torture and violence, and older people – 57,500 were given homes in new countries.
That was 67 per cent higher than in 2020, but still far below pre-pandemic levels and only 4 per cent of the total requiring resettlement.
Countries made some strides in integration in 2021, with an estimated 56,700 refugees from 161 different countries of origin naturalized in 23 host countries, which represented a return to pre-pandemic levels.
The number of internally displaced people (IDPs), who make up roughly 60 per cent of all those forced to flee their homes, also reached a record high last year, with Syria, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Ethiopia and Afghanistan continuing to experience the highest levels of internal displacement.
READ: 7 Rohingyas illegally entered from India held in Cox’s Bazar
In 2021, IDP returns increased to reach pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 5.3 million people returning during the year. However, many countries – including the DRC, Cameroon, Iraq and South Sudan – saw a drop in the number of people able to go home.
Take care of Rohingyas like Bangladesh: UNHCR to regional countries
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has appealed to the regional countries including India to take care of the refugees they already host and relieve Bangladesh from any additional burden.
"They should try to take care of these people like Bangladesh does......," he told reporters at a media briefing while wrapping up his fifth visit to Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and India also host the Rohingyas but nothing compares to the number here in Bangladesh which hosts the largest number of Rohingyas.
Grandi also appealed to the Asean countries to help find resolve the Rohingya crisis using their leverage.
Responding to a question, he said it would be "more difficult than before" in terms of fund flow due to crises in other parts of the world including the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
He appealed for sustained and predictable support for Rohingya refugees and their local host communities in Bangladesh, while emphasizing the need to maintain refugees’ hopes for voluntary return to Myanmar once the situation allows.
Grandi, during his five-day trip to Bangladesh, he met Rohingya refugees, the country’s top leadership, UNHCR donors and humanitarian actors.
READ: FM urges UNHCR to expedite efforts at Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar
“The world must remember the crisis that Rohingya refugees and their hosts have been facing for the last five years. The refugees’ lives depend on how the international community responds in caring for them,” he said.
Prolonged repatriation may push Rohingyas to crimes, Hasina tells UNHCR
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that Rohingyas refugees in Bangladesh are getting frustrated due to prolonged uncertainty over repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar.
“Such uncertainty has a great potential risk as it entices many to get involved in criminal activities,” she told the visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Fillippo Grandi who called on her at her official residence Ganobhaban.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the meeting.
The premier said that her government is facilitating informal education following Myanmar’s curriculum and language as well as skill development activities similar to options available in Rakhine state, the home of the Rohingyas.
She said a deep forest in Ukhia, where most of over 1.1 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals live, has been destroyed in a big blow to the environment in this southern part of the country.
Read: Bangladesh, Switzerland discuss celebration of 50 years of ties in Davos
“They are reducing the forest by cutting trees and thus creating great environmental hazards in the area,” she said.
Hasina said that her government has arranged temporary shelter for the Rohingyas in Bhashan Char Island ensuring all sorts of facilities.
“Our government has developed Bhashan Char with all amenities to temporary shelter 100,000 Rohingyas,” she said.
She said so far 30,000 Rohingyas have been shifted in there.
She also mentioned that each year some 45,000 babies are born in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh.
She appreciated UNHCR’s role in supporting refugees, stateless and displaced people worldwide.
Grandi echoed the prime minister’s apprehension about the Rohingyas’ getting involved in criminal activities because of uncertainty over their repatriation.
Read: Possible security threats likely to complicate Rohingya crisis: Experts
He appreciated Bangladesh government’s move to host Rohingyas here.
He also said that the world is witnessing growing influx of refugees besides the Rohingyas due to Ukraine war and the Afghanistan situation.
Grandi said that he visited Myanmar and requested the regime to start the repatriation.
“The present regime in Myanmar agreed to start the reparation,” he said adding that “The UNHCR will help in the repatriation process.”
He expressed his gratitude towards the Bangladesh prime minister for hosting such a huge number of forcibly displaced people.
Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin, PMO Senior Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh Johannes van der Klaauw were present during the meeting.