Rohingya Repatriation: Bangladesh working with Myanmar in good faith

As a responsible and responsive nation, Bangladesh remains engaged with Myanmar in good faith to ensure the safe and sustainable return of Rohingyas, in addition to providing humanitarian assistance to them, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.

State Minister Alam was addressing the launching event of “Joint Response Plan for Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis”, jointly organised by UNHCR, IOM and OCHA in Geneva on Friday.

UN agencies and NGO partners released the 2018 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis, a $951 million appeal to meet the urgent needs of nearly 1 million Rohingyas and more than 330,000 local Bangladeshis in the communities hosting them.

The State Minister underscored that Myanmar authorities have an obligation due to the bilateral agreements on return to create conducive environment in Rakhine State. The international community, including the UN, has a responsibility to play a role in this regard.

Recalling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's emphasis on finding a solution in Myanmar where the root of the crisis lies, the State Minister said the present crisis is indeed the result of systematic persecution, discrimination and exclusionary policies pursued by the Myanmar authorities for over decades.

He expressed optimism that the JRP would continue to get support from friendly countries, international organisations and financial institutions, according to the Foreign Ministry.

He also underscored the importance of keeping the international community's focus on the Rohingya crisis for ensuring a comprehensive sustainable solution.

He held a meeting separately with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

"We're talking about truly critical needs here, both on the part of the Bangladeshi communities who have so generously opened their doors and of a stateless refugee population that, even prior to this crisis, was among the world's most marginalised," said Grandi.

He said the solutions to this crisis lie inside Myanmar, and conditions that will allow refugees to return home must be established. "But today, we are appealing for help with immediate needs, and these needs are vast."

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo said, "Obviously, there's great appreciation for the generosity with which the response has been funded. But let's not forget one thing: the biggest donor to this crisis is Bangladesh."

The Rohingya refugee situation in Cox's Bazar is an acute humanitarian crisis that needs urgent funding to save lives and provide essential aid, said the IOM.

So far, the emergency response from September 2017 to February 2018 has received 74 per cent of the funding needed ($321 million of the $434 million required).