Int’l community urged to make adequate financial contributions until repatriation

The UN Human Rights Council has called upon the international community to continue to make adequate financial contributions for the people of forcibly displaced Rohingya community, temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh, to avoid the irreversibility of the devastating impact of measures such as the ration reductions by the World Food Programme (WFP) until they return to Rakhine State in Myanmar.

It also called upon states and other stakeholders that have not yet contributed to burden and responsibility-sharing to do so, with a view to broadening the support base, in a spirit of international solidarity and cooperation, and acknowledges and expresses appreciation for the efforts of the Bangladesh government to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced Rohingya Muslims and other minorities thus far.

This was mentioned in a resolution on Rohingyas which was adopted by consensus at the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva recently.

The resolution titled “Human Rights Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities of Myanmar” was tabled by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

This was adopted without a vote after an intense negotiation where the Bangladesh delegation made significant contributions.

The council urged humanitarian partners to come forward to reduce the gap between the pledged amount and the received amount, notably under the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, and prioritise sectors covering basic necessities such as food, health, site management and shelter as part of their contributions.

It called upon UN agencies and regional bodies to conduct extended humanitarian operations, and for full humanitarian access to be granted to all humanitarian actors in Rakhine state, according to the text of the resolution.

The council also urged the relevant UN bodies to continue to make concrete recommendations for action to resolve the humanitarian crisis, promoting the “safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable” return of Rohingya refugees and forcibly displaced persons and ensuring accountability for those responsible for mass atrocities and human rights violations and abuses in this regard.

The UN council decided to remain seized of the matter on the basis of, inter alia, the reports of relevant United Nations mechanisms.

It expressed deep concern that prolonged uncertainty over the repatriation has been leading Rohingya Muslims temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh to despair, and may be having spillover effects on regional peace and stability.

The council encouraged the international community, in the true spirit of interdependence and equal burden and responsibility-sharing, to continue to assist Bangladesh in the provision of humanitarian assistance to Rohingya and other minorities until their return to Myanmar.

It also urged the international community to assist Myanmar in the provision of humanitarian assistance to all affected persons of all communities displaced internally in Myanmar, including in Rakhine state, taking into account the vulnerable situation of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.