UNHCR, humanitarian partners ask the world not to forget Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh [EN/AR]

Countries: Bangladesh, Myanmar Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch – to whom quoted text may be attributed – in response to questions received at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. GENEVA – This year, the world will mark nine years since the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh. With our partners, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on the international community not to forget the 1.2 million refugees in Bangladesh, most of them in camps in Cox’s Bazar. For decades, Rohingya people have been driven from their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, with Bangladesh providing protection to successive movements of refugees since the late seventies. The largest influx came in August 2017, when some 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee across the border. The generous support from Bangladesh and the international community has been critical in meeting their basic needs and providing protection. UNHCR’s call comes amid growing global instability and rising humanitarian pressures, which have forced difficult prioritization and threatened essential services for vulnerable populations. Last month in Bangladesh, the United Nations and partners, coordinating with the Government of Bangladesh, called for renewed international support – appealing for $710.5 million to meet the most urgent needs of Rohingya refugees and local host communities. Despite growing needs, this hyper-prioritized appeal is 26 per cent less than last year. Since 2017, humanitarian funding for the Rohingya refugee response has allowed Bangladesh to sustain life-saving assistance and make major progress in refugee education, health and protection...

Original source: Relief Web