Act faster, UN urges world as Rohingyas leave ‘dramatic impact’ on Cox’s Bazar

Three heads of UN agencies have witnessed the miseries in Cox’s Bazar where Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have outnumbered the local host community and urged the international community to act faster.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) António Vitorino, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi jointly visited Cox’s Bazar Thursday and Friday and issued a joint statement.

They reiterated their commitment to keep working toward safe and sustainable solutions for Rohingya refugees in Myanmar and noted the UN efforts there to help create conditions conducive to return.

They also called upon donors to do more and act faster to share the burden.

“High prices, deforestation, traffic jams, insecurity... visiting Cox’s Bazar, once again, shows the dramatic impact on local communities hosting Rohingya refugees. @IOMchief @UNReliefChief and I are calling on donors to do more (and act faster) to share this burden,” Grandi tweeted before issuing the joint statement.

In the joint statement they also called on the international community to continue supporting the critical needs of 1.2 million people in south-eastern Bangladesh, mostly Rohingya refugees but also including generous host communities.

After visiting the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and meeting with different refugee groups, they also highlighted the critical importance of supporting the Rohingya during their time in exile, in particular by expanding opportunities for learning and skills training.

They noted that almost half of the 540,000 refugee children under the age of 12 are currently missing out on education altogether, while the remainder have access only to very limited schooling.

Only a handful of teenage children are currently able to access any form of education or training.

“This remains one of the world’s biggest refugee crises,” said Grandi.

“There are more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, most of whom fled Myanmar in 2017. I saw a great deal of progress, but their situation, especially for women and children, remains fragile.

“With the current crisis almost two years on we must give refugees the chance to learn, build skills and contribute to their communities while also preparing for reintegration when they can return to Myanmar – the future of the Rohingya refugees hangs in the balance.”

“The Rohingya community is made up of so many young people who are in need of hope and opportunities if they are to build successful lives upon their return to Myanmar,” Vitorino added.

The visit came just ahead of the cyclone period, which is followed by the monsoon season.

Both pose serious risks, including flooding, landslides and disease outbreaks, to thousands of already vulnerable women, men and children.

The UN leaders discussed with the government ways the international community can further support preparedness and response efforts.

While in the camps, they also assessed the ongoing work that has been undertaken to address weather-related risks, including the strengthening of shelters, the improvement of infrastructure, and the training of volunteers.

They recognised the critical role the refugees themselves are playing in these efforts.

“We are concerned for the welfare of the Rohingya refugees who live in such vulnerable circumstances in Cox’s Bazar, as well as for host communities which also face significant challenges, particularly in the lead up to the monsoon season,” said Vitorino.

In their meetings with refugees, the humanitarian leaders were reminded of the harrowing circumstances refugees fled from and were encouraged by their resilience.

“The first time I was in Cox’s Bazar in 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya had just fled across the border from the most appalling brutality imaginable,” said Lowcock.

“I met with children who had seen parents killed. Women who were just holding on told me horrendous stories of sexual violence they had survived.”

“A wise, far-sighted approach would see a stronger focus on helping the refugees not just recover from the horrors they have experienced, but also to prepare for a dignified longer-term future,” Lowcock added.