UNHCR has appealed for much greater efforts to secure both financial support and solutions for the forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens Rohingyas living in Bangladesh.
"This week marks five years since more than 700,000 Rohingya women, men and children fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands of other Rohingyas who had sought and found shelter in the country in previous years," UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Tuesday, reports BSS.
The latest exodus from Myanmar is now officially defined as being a protracted situation, Mantoo said.
Since the onset of this humanitarian crisis, the UNHCR spokesperson said, the government of Bangladesh and local communities, with aid agencies, were quick to respond to arriving Rohingyas, providing shelter in what is now the world's largest camp in Cox's Bazar.
Five years later, many Rohingyas have told UNHCR that they wish to return home to Myanmar so long as conditions for safe, dignified and sustainable returns are met and they can enjoy the freedom of movement, access to documentation and a pathway to citizenship, as well as access to services and income-generating activities, Mantoo added.
For the almost one million stateless Rohingyas, conditions in Bangladesh are extremely overcrowded, and they remain fully reliant on humanitarian assistance for their survival, she said, adding with decreased funding, they face many challenges in their daily lives.
Multiple humanitarian assessment surveys have found that the most commonly unmet needs include proper nutrition, shelter materials, sanitation facilities and livelihood opportunities, Mantoo said, adding that some have resorted to dangerous boat journeys to seek a better future.
Protection needs -- especially for women, children and people with disabilities -- are often under-reported, she said, adding violence against children and women, especially gender-based violence, is shrouded in the stigma that can render survivors voiceless, often unable to access legal, medical, psycho-social or other forms of support.
Noting that support must be stepped up for education, skills development, and livelihood opportunities, the UNHCR spokesperson said these activities will prepare Rohingyas for eventual return while also helping them remain safe and productive during their stay in Bangladesh.
Some 10,000 Rohingya children in Bangladesh are already enrolled in the Myanmar curriculum and taught in the Myanmar language, she said, adding support for sustained and expanded access to the Myanmar curriculum is needed.
"This is a milestone towards more formal education and helps close the gap for older children who previously had no learning opportunities. UNHCR is also appealing for further investment from the international community to ensure Rohingyas can benefit from skills development, including vocational training and other forms of capacity-building for adolescent and adult Rohingyas.
This will allow Rohingyas 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," Mantoo said.
The support from the international community has been and is crucial in delivering lifesaving protection and assistance services for Rohingyas but funding is well short of needs, she said.
"The 2022 response plan seeks over US$881 million for more than 1.4 million people, including Rohingyas and more than half a million most affected host communities, and is so far funded at only 49per cent, with US$426.2 million received," UNHCR spokesperson added.
Together, the international community must do more to ensure that the Rohingyas 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, Mantoo added.