US announces fresh aid for Rohingyas

The United States yesterday announced more than $44 million in additional humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and people affected by violence and conflict in Myanmar.

This funding brings the total US humanitarian assistance for displaced people in and from Myanmar to more than $299 million since the beginning of 2017 fiscal year, said a press release of the US Embassy in Dhaka.

USAID Administrator Mark Green, who is now in Bangladesh, announced the new aid during his visit to the Kutapalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar yesterday. The US is providing the additional fund through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

With this new funding, the United States will provide emergency food assistance in and around Cox's Bazar, including emergency food for general distribution, specialised food to treat acute malnutrition, and vouchers so refugees can buy food in local markets, where available. 

This funding will also provide emergency food and nutrition assistance, shelter, medical care, and other critical aid for millions of people affected by the ongoing conflict in Rakhine, Shan, and Kachin States in Myanmar. 

As part of more than $207 million contributed by the US to the crisis since August 2017, the US Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has provided nearly $128 million in humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities. 

This US assistance also supports humanitarian organisations, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Unicef, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to provide protection, emergency shelter, water, sanitation, health care, and psychosocial support for people affected by the crisis.