Not just Bangladesh, neighbouring countries should take care of Rohingyas too: UN envoy
The UN High Commissioner for the Refugees Filippo Grandi has appealed the neighbouring countries, including India, to take care of the Rohingyas they are hosting and not create additional burden on Bangladesh that is hosting more than a million Rohingyas.
He also made appeal to the ASEAN countries plus China, Japan, South Korea to use their influence so that the Rohingyas do not flee to Bangladesh and Myanmar is encouraged to take back their populations who fled violence and took shelter in other countries.
He made the call in response to illegal entry of a few hundred Rohingyas from India to Bangladesh. Bangladesh has already sent a note verbal to India in this regard.
Grandi said the number of Rohingyas living in other countries are nothing compared to those living in Bangladesh.
"So, Bangladesh needs to be relieved of the burden," he said at a press conference at a city hotel today, wrapping up a five-day visit to Bangladesh.
He visited the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and Bhashan Char, held meeting with Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and the ambassadors of the donor countries in Dhaka.
Humanitarian agencies need more than USD 881 million this year to support approximately 1.4 million people, including 920,000 Rohingya in Cox's Bazar and Bhashan Char, and around 540,000 Bangladeshis in neighbouring communities. As of May 2022, the Joint Response Plan is only 13 percent funded.
He said Bangladesh, which has led in assisting nearly a million refugees, remains a priority partner for UNHCR, but continued international support is crucial to provide life-saving assistance and build hope.
The High Commissioner said the solutions to the Rohingya crisis lie within Myanmar. While UNHCR and UNDP continue to work on community projects in Rakhine under a tripartite agreement with Myanmar, initiatives must be scaled up to create conditions for voluntary returns in a just, safe, and sustainable manner.
Grandi said while in Bangladesh, it is important that Rohingya refugees can live in safety and dignity, that they can send their children to school and learn from the Myanmar curriculum, which is being rolled out in the refugee camps.