CCNF: Redouble international effort to solve Rohingya crisis

Published at 01:44 pm June 20th, 2021

File Photo: This photo taken on April 25, 2018 shows Rohingya refugees gathered behind a barbed-wire fence at a temporary settlement setup in a ‘no man's land’ border zone between Myanmar and Bangladesh, near Maungdaw district in Myanmar's Rakhine state AFP

On the occasion of World Refugee Day of Sunday, NGOs working in Cox's Bazar press on ensuring the dignity of the Rohingya community and social cohesion until repatriation

The ultimate solution of the Rohingya crisis is dignified repatriation, and ensuring that international actors play an active role in putting pressure on the Myanmar government, speakers have said at a webinar organized by Cox’s Bazar CSO (Civil Society Organization) NGO Forum (CCNF).

On the occasion of the World Refugee Day on Sunday, the CCNF, a network of 50 NGOs working in Cox’s Bazar, organized the webinar titled “World Refugee Day: Together We Heal, Learn and Shine.”

The speakers also urged all stakeholders to ensure the dignity of the Rohingya community and social cohesion until repatriation, said a press statement issued on Sunday.

The webinar was jointly moderated by two co-chairs of CCNF - COAST Foundation Executive Director Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, and Program for Helpless and Lagged Societies (PHALS) Executive Director Abu Morshed Chowdhury.

Chief Executive of Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) Arifur Rahman, Chief Executive of Mukti Cox’s Bazar Bimal Chandra Dey Sarker, Executive Director of HELP Cox’s Bazar Abul Kashem, and Member Secretary of CCNF and Assistant Director of COAST Foundation Jahangir Alam put forward specific interventions on behalf of the organizers.

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Executive Director of PHALS Abu Murshed Chowdhury said Myanmar held the main responsibility to ensure sustainable repatriation for the Rohingya community. International actors should redouble their effort, they should not be only limited to humanitarian assistance only, he aded.

Executive Director of HELP Cox’s Bazar Abul Kashem said underground water was being used to supply water to the camps, thus local residents including farmers were suffering due to the fall of water level. Utilizing water of Naf River and Reju canal can be an effective alternative, he added.

Among others, Shireen Haq of Naripokkho, Gowhar Nayeem Warha of Disasater Forum, Manuel Moniz Pereira of International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Coxsbazar, NGO Platform Coordinator Pius Mulonzya, Deputy Representative of UNHCR Soo Jin Rhee, spoke at the occasion, the statement said.