The World Jewish Relief (WJR) has teamed up with Israeli and American Jewish groups to launch a "United Global Jewish Response" for the Rohingyas.
The first-of-its-kind collaboration comprises of WJR, IsraAid, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and Jewish Coalition for Disaster Response (JCDR), said a statement on the website of WJR.
The Jewish humanitarian agency said: “The rapid exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh has resulted in a critical humanitarian crisis.”
World Jewish Relief Chief Executive Paul Anticoni said: “The refugees are facing desperate conditions and are entirely dependent on humanitarian support with many having fled their homes with no possessions, traumatized by targeted persecution and violence.
“Sanitation and healthcare is appalling and the threat of outbreaks of infectious disease looms. Despite recent political assurances that they can start returning home, this is not going to happen anytime soon, if at all.”
He said: “We have monitored the situation carefully, appalled at another incident of ethnic cleansing and mass refugee movement. This is the right time and the right place for a globally coordinate Jewish response.”
“Together, we will provide essential non-food items to the most vulnerable refugee families, primarily women and girls, breastfeeding or pregnant mothers and child-led households. We will distribute emergency packages; containing hygiene and sanitary products, blankets, essential clothing and mosquito nets,” he added.
“We also aim to provide mobile primary healthcare to parts of the camps that are not currently being accessed by existing services. We will work where others are not and ensure all we deliver goes to those in greatest need.”
The Jewish leaders have called on people to support the campaign.
The United Kngdom Jewish Community’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: “The inexcusable suffering of the Rohingyas is a stain on the conscience of humanity and represents a failure to act upon our commitment to protect the most vulnerable people in our world.”
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Masorti Judaism’s Senior Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg said: “Our hearts go out to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya families who have fled terror and persecution and are now stateless, homeless, destitute and desperately in need of our help.”
Reform Judaism’s Senior Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner said: “The Jewish community knows from our history what it is like to flee persecution. Refugees from Myanmar are suffering brutal crimes, often targeting women and children.
"I urge our community to support this unprecedented joint global Jewish effort to bring some solace to those suffering from the world's fastest growing refugee crisis.”
Liberal Judaism’s Chief Executive and Senior Rabbi Danny Rich said: “The Rohingya humanitarian crisis brings back chilling memories of what has happened to the Jewish people at many points in our history, which makes it even more vital that we do all we can to help them.”
“We can often feel powerless when we see a tragedy unfold many miles from home, which is why Liberal Judaism welcomes this effort from World Jewish Relief so that our members, and those from across the entire Jewish community, can donate to help some of the world’s most vulnerable and persecuted people.”
The Bangladesh government’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) stated that more than 689,360 Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh from August 25, 2017 till February 10, 2018.
The Rohingya mass exodus was triggered by a brutal military campaign perpetrated by the Myanmar Army and local Moghs. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees are currently living in the two upazilas of Cox’s Bazar.
Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens and force many of them to live in squalid camps in apartheid-like condition. Dhaka and Naypyidaw have signed an agreement to send the Rohingyas back to their homeland.
After signing a bilateral deal in November 2017, the repatriation was scheduled to begin last month, but it got delayed.
The fact-finding mission of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) found that the environment in Myanmar is not secured for the repatriation of Rohingyas.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
