On the five-year mark of the forced mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer has called for renewed international attention and equitable burden-sharing by countries in the region and abroad.
She made the call in a UN media release issued from Dhaka, Thursday ((Aug 25, 2022) during her four-day mission to Bangladesh.
“Following the military takeover in February 2021, the humanitarian, human rights and security situation in Myanmar has deteriorated. It is critical that the international community continue to seek comprehensive, durable and inclusive solutions to the crisis. We cannot let this become a forgotten crisis,” Ms Heyzer said.
In their productive discussions, the Special Envoy thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her leadership and expressed the United Nations’ deep appreciation to the people and Government of Bangladesh for their immense contribution.
She also highlighted Bangladesh’s pivotal role in working with ASEAN.
“The generosity of Bangladesh and host communities towards Rohingya refugees in their time of need conveys a critical need for greater international and regional commitment to burden share and ensure that the Rohingya do not become forgotten,” Ms Heyzer said.
“I will continue to advocate for greater leadership of countries in the region in supporting Bangladesh and leveraging their influence with Myanmar to create conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of refugees,” the Special Envoy added.
The Special Envoy highlighted the major pressures on Bangladesh as host of one of the largest refugee populations in the world, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
About 1 million Rohingya refugees are still living in camps in Bangladesh, with tens of thousands more across the region, and over 140,000 internally displaced persons remaining confined in camps in Rakhine.
Driven by desperate hardship conditions, Rohingya people continue to undertake perilous land and sea journeys that expose them to criminal exploitation including human trafficking and gender-based violence.
The Special Envoy emphasized that it was ultimately Myanmar’s responsibility to establish conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar of all refugees and forcibly displaced persons.
During her visit to the refugee camps in Bangladesh, Special Envoy Heyzer witnessed first-hand the hard work of United Nations agencies among many actors, including civil society organisations, local NGOs and INGOs that provided critical assistance.
The current situation requires predictable and consistent support from the international community for refugees and host communities. The 2022 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh, seeking over US$881 million to meet the needs of more than 1 million people, including Rohingya refugees and the most affected host communities, is so far only 49-per-cent funded.
In her recent mission to Malaysia and meetings with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, the Special Envoy emphasized the need to keep the Rohingya high on the ASEAN and international and regional agendas, including education and vocational training opportunities that will help prepare the refugees for return.
The Special Envoy has also recently consulted with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on the Rohingya Crisis and briefed the United Nations General Assembly in June regarding the urgency of support for refugees and host communities.