Helping the hapless

Photo: AFP

WHAT is the one thing you would bring if you have to flee in one minute? This is the question UNHCR is asking in this year's World Refugee Day campaign. Although everyone's choice might differ, one thing we would all bring is our families.

Family has a central value in Bangladeshi culture. The close links extend beyond nuclear families, and connect extended family members on all occasions, weddings, religious occasions or traditional festivities. With 10 million people displaced from home in the 1971 war, people in this country understand the pain of losing family and family members more than any other country.

Fortunately, the huge displacement from Bangladesh ended within one year. Unfortunately, the tragedy goes on in other parts of the world.

The past two years have been some of the most challenging in UNHCR's history --. Mmultiple concurrent emergencies have forced more people to flee across borders than in the previous seven years combined.

By the end of 2012, more than 45 million people were in situations of displacement with war remaining as the dominant cause. While Syria, Mali, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are in the spotlight these days, the inter-communal violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State in June last year is still fresh in memory of many people.

One year after the violence, some 140,000 people are still displaced in Rakhine State, mostly Rohingya. Many others who were not directly affected by the violence have lost their livelihoods as a result of restricted movements due to the security situation. On this side of the border, men, women and children have tried to come to Bangladesh in the hope that they could find some sanctuary, if only temporarily and until calm is restored in Myanmar. Many lost their family members on the way.

For decades, the Rohingya in Myanmar have been living in discrimination and extreme difficulties. We hear stories of pregnant women delivering babies on boats at sea, elderly mothers breaking into tears as they cannot pay the smugglers to release their sons, families living in flimsy tents in Rakhine State in the monsoon rains, scared and unable to return home…

The key to a longer-term solution for the majority of the Rohingya lies in Myanmar. It has a vital role to play in finding a solution and the international community must support its efforts in doing so. But a solution will not appear overnight and until then, boats carrying people in distress cannot be continued to remain adrift in the Bay of Bengal. Women and elderly cannot be left alone, struggling to feed themselves after the departure of the husbands and sons. Children should not live in limbo without access to schools.

As solutions are sought in Myanmar, it is important that the usual hospitality in host countries continues.

For decades, the people of Bangladesh have demonstrated remarkable solidarity in hosting Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar. They have done so generously, despite their own resource constraints and problems with overpopulation. It is equally important to address their needs and to develop the refugee-hosting communities when protecting the rights of refugees. As always, UNHCR and the international community stand ready to help the government and people of Bangladesh in addressing these issues.

As we commemorate World Refugee Day, let's not forget that the victims of displacement are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Even one family torn apart by violence is too many.

The writer is Representative, UNHCR, Bangladesh.