In Bangladesh, UN chief vows to prevent Rohingya suffering as aid cuts loom

“This is my yearly Ramadan visit, this time in solidarity with the Rohingya refugees and with the Bangladeshi people who so generously host them,” Mr. Guterres told reporters in Cox’s Bazar.

During his visit, the Secretary-General said he had heard two key messages from the refugees: their desire to return safely to Myanmar and their need for better conditions in the camps.

However, he warned that humanitarian support is under severe threat following funding reductions announced by major donors, including the United States and several European nations.

“We are at risk of cutting the food rations in this camp,” he said.

“I can promise that we will do everything to avoid it and I will be talking to all countries in the world that can support us in order to make sure that funds are made available.”

Bangladesh is hosting over one million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar. The largest exodus followed brutal attacks by Myanmar security forces in 2017, a series of events that the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein described as “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

World cannot turn its back

The Secretary-General emphasised that the international community cannot turn its back on the Rohingya crisis.

“We cannot accept that the international community forgets about the Rohingyas,” he said.

“My voice will speak loudly to the international community saying we need urgently more support because this population badly needs that support to be able to live in dignity here in Bangladesh.”

He called on world leaders to prioritise peace and justice in Myanmar.

“It is essential that the international community does everything to make sure that peace is reestablished in Myanmar and that the rights of the Rohingyas are respected, that discrimination and persecution like the one we have witnessed in the past, will end.”

More to follow…