The United States has reiterated its call on Myanmar to create a favourable environment for the dignified and sustainable repatriation of the persecuted Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh.
Washington also asked Naypyidaw to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to the people in need in Rakhine.
“We also continue to call on Myanmar to create the conditions that would allow for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns of Rohingya, based on the informed consent of those who have been forcibly displaced,” US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller said in a press statement on Wednesday. “And, critically, to ensure unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to all people requiring assistance.”
The ambassador further revealed that, at the launch of the 2020 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Geneva on Tuesday, the US had announced more than $59 million in additional humanitarian assistance for both the Rohingya people and the host communities in Bangladesh, as well as the internally displaced Rohingyas and members of other affected communities in Myanmar.
“The United States remains the leading contributor to the humanitarian response as we have been each year since the outbreak of violence in August 2017. With this new funding announcement, our total humanitarian assistance reaches almost $820 million, of which nearly $693 million is for programs inside Bangladesh,” he said.
The US funding, including Tuesday’s announcement, helps address the emergency needs of more than 900,000 Rohingyas in Bangladesh, as well as the needs of the Bangladeshi communities in Cox’s Bazar affected by the ongoing crisis, Miller said.
“The US government remains committed to ensuring humanitarian and development assistance continues to reach Bangladeshi communities, which have so generously hosted Rohingya refugees. We are proud (that) the 2020 Joint Response Plan reflects an increased policy focus on their challenges,” he said.
“The United States cannot meet this crisis’ tremendous needs alone. We welcome the contributions many donors have made in recent months. We continue to call on other countries to contribute as well,” said the ambassador.
“We commend the Government of Bangladesh’s generosity in responding to this crisis and its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches the affected populations – both Rohingya and Bangladeshi,” he added.
