National diplomacy
Don't turn your back on the plight of the Rohingya, the UK to the world community
New Horizons Online 22 October 2020, 18:06
Do not turn your back on the plight of the Rohingya, the world community UK - pictures - collected
Dominic Robb, the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development, has called on the world community not to turn a blind eye to the plight of the Rohingya, saying the UK is committed to helping save the lives of the Rohingya. "I urge the world not to turn a blind eye to the plight of the Rohingya and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the fleeing Rohingyas return to their homeland safely," he said.
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According to a press release issued by the British High Commission in Dhaka, the British Foreign Secretary made the remarks while announcing a new ৭ 48.5 million aid to help the 680,000 displaced Rohingya people as well as help Bangladesh cope with the coronavirus and natural disasters.
The additional aid was announced following a UK embargo on perpetrators of violence against the Rohingya and today before a joint pledge conference of the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union (EU) and the UNHCR.
The new aid, announced by the foreign minister, will be used to provide food, health care, water and sanitation to the Rohingya, as well as to provide counseling to the Rohingya, who have been displaced by the violence in Myanmar.
The assistance will increase the educational opportunities of 50,000 young people, as well as create isolation and medical centers for people infected with the coronavirus.
In addition, this UK assistance will be spent on the people of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has sheltered the largest number of Rohingya refugees.
This assistance will further strengthen Bangladesh's health care system in tackling COVID-19. It also includes the UK's continued support to Bangladesh in dealing with natural disasters such as floods.
Rab said those living in Cox's Bazar are in indescribable misery and many of them have been victims of violence. We have banned the perpetrators of this heinous crime. This new aid camp will help Bangladesh save the lives of asylum seekers and cope with disasters like coronavirus
Today's conference will bring together countries to show solidarity with the Rohingya people, as well as support their host countries as refugees. The conference will call on the countries concerned to pledge financial assistance to address the humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations estimates that Bangladesh needs ১ 1 billion this year to help Rohingya refugees. But so far less than half of that money has been found.
At the conference, Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon, FCDO Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, reiterated the need to take steps to ensure that Rohingya can return to their homeland in Myanmar voluntarily, safely and with dignity.
In the wake of the brutal violence in Myanmar in 2016, millions of Rohingya people took refuge in Bangladesh to save their lives.
Since then, the UK has imposed sanctions on two generals in the Myanmar army. An impartial UN inquiry has found evidence of genocide.
As a result of today's announcement, the total pledged assistance of the United Kingdom in tackling the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh stood at around 300 million.
