The United States will provide nearly $26 million in humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh and the region, and for those affected by violence in Myanmar, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2023) The United States will provide nearly $26 million in humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh and the region, and for those affected by violence in Myanmar, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.
"During the launch of the 2023 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh today, the Department of State announced nearly $26 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the region, for those people in Burma affected by ongoing violence, and for communities hosting refugees from Burma," Blinken said in a statement.
With this new funding, US total assistance for those affected by the Rakhine State and Rohingya crisis has reached nearly $2.1 billion since August 2017, he added, noting that over 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Bangladesh.
The new assistance includes about $24 million for programs specifically in Bangladesh, according to the statement. The US will provide "life-sustaining support" to nearly 980,000 Rohingya refugees, as well as to communities hosting these people.
"This assistance sees to it that children and young adults have access to education and vocational training, provides families with food and clean water, strengthens sanitation systems to prevent the spread of disease, supports the protection of Rohingya refugees' human rights and well-being, bolsters disaster preparedness, and helps combat the effects of climate change," Blinken said.
He also called on other donors to contribute robustly to the humanitarian response and increase support to people affected by violence in Myanmar.
The mass illegal migration of Rohingya to Bangladesh began in 2017 after a massive operation by the Myanmar armed forces in Rakhine against Rohingya rebels who attacked several police posts and army bases. More than 700,000 Rohingya have since fled to Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia.
