Countries pledge more funds to support Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis

International community has pledged to support Bangladesh with more humanitarian assistance at the joint response plan for the Rohingya refugees.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 March 2018, 03:36 AM
Updated : 17 March 2018, 03:36 AM

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, who represented Bangladesh on Friday’s meeting in Geneva, told bdnews24.com that everyone in the conference pledged to contribute further as this joint response plan indicates Rohingyas require $951 million in aid.

Canada, Sweden, Thailand, US, Australia, EU, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, Korea, Denmark, UK, Norway, Turkey, Brazil, OIC, WFP, Unicef, OHCHR, World Bank, WHO, UNFPA, FAO and IOM had representatives at the meeting.

Over 700,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh since Aug 25 from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The Joint Response Plan is the UN's effort to engage the international community to meet the humanitarian needs for the over one million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Bangladesh for the period of March-December 2018. The total estimated cost of the project is around $951 million.

The UNHCR, IOM and OCHA organised the event, which was attended by a large number of UN member countries as well as by international organizations, the foreign ministry said.

“In addition to providing humanitarian assistance to the displaced people of Myanmar, Bangladesh, as a responsible and responsive nation, has also remained engaged with Myanmar in good faith to ensure their safe and sustainable return,” the state minister was quoted as saying  in a statement.

IOM's Director General Ambassador William Lacy Swing, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo and Secretary-General of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Feroz Salah Uddin also addressed the occasion.

Ambassador M Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, was also present.

The state minister provided an overview of the Bangladesh government's efforts so far for ensuring unhindered humanitarian assistance to the forcibly displaced Rohingya population from Myanmar.

He underscored that Myanmar authorities have an obligation, due to the bilateral agreements on their return, to create conducive environment in Rakhine State and the international community, including the UN, has the responsibility to play a role in this regard.

Recalling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's emphasis on finding a solution in Myanmar where the root of the crisis lies, he said the present crisis is indeed the result of systematic persecution, discrimination and exclusionary policies pursued by the Myanmar authorities over decades.

Alam underscored the importance of keeping international community's focus on the Rohingya crisis for ensuring a comprehensive sustainable solution.

He also separately held a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.