UN Secretary General António Guterres has urged the international community to work harder for the protection of Rohingyas as the monsoon is approaching.
“With the monsoon season approaching, we must work even harder,” he said in video message at the launch of joint response plan for the Rohingya refugee crisis held in Geneva on Friday.
He said suffering of the Rohingya people remains deep, disturbing and relentless. “As a result, Bangladesh has witnessed the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis.”
The UN chief said the Rohingya are under siege as a group – simply for who they are.
“Many refugees are victims of horrific trauma – psychological and physical – cast out of their homes and country in a clear example of ethnic cleansing,” he said.
He appreciated the swift and focused response from Bangladesh, with the support of the international community and mentioned that lifesaving assistance has reached more than a million people. “Let us ensure the Rohingya community receives assistance, solutions-including their human right to nationality-and justice,” Guterres said.
The international community, in Geneva on Friday pledged to contribute further to assist Rohingyas and the vulnerable locals in Cox’s Bazar as the joint response plan indicates requirement of US$ 951 in the coming months.
“Everyone pledged to contribute further,” State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam told UNB who attended the meeting.
Earlier, United Nations and the Bangladesh government prepared a plan to provide an assistance of $950 million to the Rohingyas and the vulnerable locals in Cox’s Bazar for 10 months until December.
The amount is more than double the money – $434 million – which was initially planned for the Rohingyas as emergency humanitarian assistance for six months till February.
