UN refugee chief appeals for funds for Rohingya, sanctuary for Myanmar refugees

UNHCR will launch an appeal on Tuesday for US$943 million to support humanitarian work in both the Rohingya camps and local Bangladeshi communities.

The head of the U.N. refugee agency said on Monday more international support was needed for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, a day ahead of a donor conference aiming to raise $1 billion to fund the response.

Close to a million Rohingya have been living in crowded camps in southern Bangladesh that comprise the world’s largest refugee settlement since fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state nearly four years ago.

Speaking to Reuters, Filippo Grandi said the fate of the Rohingya was at risk of being forgotten in the wake of a coup by the army in Myanmar that has thrown the country into further turmoil and sent more people fleeing to the borders.

“The development in Myanmar risks overshadowing the fact that this is a crisis that pre-existed this development and will continue to be a crisis that needs to be addressed both in Bangladesh and in Myanmar,” Grandi said.

Source : Reuters