EU to make sure global focus does not fade, funds for Rohingyas

The Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to South Asia, Jean Lambert, has said that they will do what they can to make sure that international attention on Rohingya crisis does not fade.

She made this comment while replying to a question at a press briefing in Dhaka on Wednesday against the backdrop of the World Food Programme chief David Beasley’s statement that 'donors have lost interest' in giving emergency aid to Rohingyas.

Beasley conveyed this to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a meeting in Italy on Tuesday.

Lambert who led a delegation of European parliamentarians to Cox’s Bazar and met Rohingya people said from their previous experiences they can say that this can be a “protracted situation”.

“We’ll do whatever we can to try and make sure that international interest does not fade and that more money is provided,” she said, “because people of Bangladesh needs support, the refugees need support.”

“….how effective we’ll be [making sure international support], we don’t know. I cannot promise. What can I promise is that we’ll do what we can to make sure this issue does not fade international attention,” she said.

The MEPs earlier visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and gathered first-hand information on the ongoing exodus and refugee crisis.

In a written statement, they said visiting the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar provided an opportunity to appreciate the commitment and level of assistance provided by the Bangladeshi authorities, the challenges faced by local communities, and the refugees themselves in the face of the oncoming Monsoon season.

MEPs reiterated the support of the European Union while witnessing the humanitarian tragedy of one of the most severe refugee crisis in the world.

The MEPs also underlined the need to protect human dignity and hoped that a sustainable solution would be found that also addresses the causes.

“European Parliamentarians are also aware of the funding needs that will be required to address the ongoing crisis, as it unfolds in coming months, and expect the European Union and international community partners to continue its engagement,” read the written statement.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled Myanmar's Rakhine state and took shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh after an army crackdown on their villages on Aug 25 last year.

With this, the total number of Rohingyas taking shelter in Bangladesh stood over 1 million.

Bangladesh signed deals with Myanmar for their repatriation, but the process is yet to start.