Amnesty: Bangladesh can’t be left to deal with Rohingya crisis alone

Deputy South Asia Director at Amnesty International Omar Waraich has said Bangladesh cannot be left to deal with Rohingya crisis alone. The Amnesty International has urged more countries to step up and pledge their support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. “This is an unprecedented crisis that needs an immediate and sustained response from the international community. This means that more countries, particularly those from the region, need to play a much bigger role and share the burden of responsibility,” Waraich said in a statement issued on Friday. He said: “Bangladesh, a poor country which has shown extraordinary generosity, cannot be left to deal with this situation alone. “These deeply traumatized refugees are subsisting in extremely difficult conditions, with no prospect of being able to return home any time soon. The international community must mount a response that addresses both their immediate and long-term needs.” According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), some 588,800 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh since the violence erupted in Myanmar on August 25. An Amnesty International delegation visiting the refugee camps this week found overcrowded camps where nearly 600,000 new arrivals are squeezed into flimsy bamboo and tarpaulin tents with severely constrained access to life-saving assistance, medical facilities, safe areas for women, and schooling for the children who make up more than 61% of the refugee population. Humanitarian agencies have identified high levels of severe acute malnutrition, particularly among children, as well as risk of diseases, such as cholera, due to poor water and sanitation conditions. The right group said the international community should address a range of urgent needs of Rohingya refugees, from transportation to camps, to medical and life-saving assistance at every stage. “Rohingya refugees who walked for days - often barefoot, hungry and injured, depleting all reserves - are faced with extortion to make the last leg of their journey,” said Charmain Mohamed, Amnesty International’s Head of Refugee and Migrant Rights. “When they finally reach Bangladesh, some of the refugees have been left to make a miles-long walk further still, to reach the camps. Their journeys should not be made any more difficult than they already are. They need to be supported at every stage of their search for safety.” “The humanitarian community must be granted full and unimpeded access to areas of Rakhine State affected by the conflict, allowing them to assess and provide for their shelter, food, medical and protection needs,” Charmain Mohamed said while talking about the violence in Myanmar.