A Rohingya refugee girl named Sakila Begum, aged 15, poses for a photograph as she wears thanaka paste at Jamtoli camp in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh
Bangladesh should relocate Rohingya refugees living in a “severely overcrowded” mega camp to safer ground in Cox’s Bazar, a global human rights watchdog said on Monday.
“The average usable space [in the camp] is 10.7 square meters per person, compared with the recommended international standard of 45 square meters per person” the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report.
Since Aug. 25, 2017, some 750,000 Rohingya, mostly children and women, have fled to bordering Bangladesh after Myanmar forces began a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.
Ahead of the Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Muslim holiday later this month, Turkish NGOs are rolling up their sleeves to help the needy in countries worldwide.Leading Turkish aid agencies will help millions of underprivileged people in over 100 countries across the globe during the Islamic holy festival.The Turkish Red Crescent has distributed meat to millions for more than a decade, and this year will continue its aid to 1.5 million people in 40 countries, said the group’s head, Kerem Kinik.Turkish agency to send Eid meat to 3M people abroadThe Turkish Red Crescent is the largest humanitarian organization in Turkey, with an international network to help other nations in need.The non-profit and volunteer-based social service institution is providing unconditional aid and service, and is a corporate body governed by special legal provisions.Meanwhile, the Turkish Deniz Feneri Association hopes to help people in 40 countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Algeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Palestine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Yemen, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia.Turkish NGOs begin aid campaign for Rohingya MuslimsThe Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) will distribute meat to around 3 million needy people in 103 countries, according to its head, Yavuz Dede.The International Refugee Rights Association (UMHD) and Sadakatasi Foundation are both making efforts to reach out to hundreds of thousands of needy Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.Meat packages will be distributed to the Rohingya Muslims at camps in Cox's Bazar.The IHH will show the Eid al-Adha spirit of charity in a total of 103 countries, including Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Somalia, Yemen, and Bangladesh, as well as Myanmar’s Rakhine state and the East Turkestan region.The IHH will prioritize refugee camps, areas struck by war or natural disaster, people suffering from chronic hunger and poverty, the elderly, widows, orphanages, schools, and hospitals.The Sadakatasi Foundation will distribute aid in a total of 30 countries.The Cansuyu Charity and Solidarity Organization will also help people in 28 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, while the Hayrat Humanitarian Aid Association will be active in 48 countries.
Turkey ready to help needy worldwide during Muslim eid
At least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Myanmar's Rakhine state from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, 2017, said the Doctors Without Borders.
In a report published last December, the global humanitarian group said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.
“Densely packed refugees are at heightened risk of communicable diseases, fires, community tensions, and domestic and sexual violence,” said the HRW.
The world has failed to end the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, where hundreds of thousands of people were driven from their homes by fire, rape and murder, a U.S. envoy said Monday.Ambassador Kelley Currie, the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, said the world has said "never again" many times over the past 70 years in places like Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, calling it a "sad irony."She was speaking at a panel hosted by Washington-based think tank the Heritage Foundation."These places haunt us for our collective failure," said Currie.Currie, who also specializes in humanitarian assistance and human rights, emphatically highlighted the world's failure to stop the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State."We all watched in August 2017, September 2017, week by week in horror," she said, referring to two major attacks against Rohingya Muslims conducted by Myanmar’s military.Myanmar: Over 16,000 displaced by floods in Kayin StateFlood hits over 300 Rohingya shelters in no man’s landSince Aug. 25, 2017, more than 750,000 refugees, mostly women and children, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.At least 9,400 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24 last year, according to Doctors Without Borders.In a report published last December, the global humanitarian group said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.The U.S. envoy urged Myanmar’s government to provide Rohingya Muslims safe return to their homes and grant them citizenship, access to school, places of worship and medical care. She added the refugees and those who are still hiding in Myanmar must know that their return will be safe and voluntary.She noted that Rohingya Muslims must be confident that they will not face the same abuses that drove them from their homes.Currie also called on the Myanmar government not to confine the returnees to camps or ghettos as second-class citizens and to respect their freedom of movement and basic human rights along with their rights of citizenship.Video: Rohingya refugees camps relocated for landslide risk in BangladeshOn whether she believes the efforts of the U.S. and other major countries are enough to stop the persecution of Rohingya, she said the U.S. was the "single largest donor" helping Rohingya through financial assistance and is working with both Bangladesh and Myanmar to stop “shockingly vicious” military operations of the Burmese military.The U.S. also imposed a visa ban, restrictions on members of the military and held Burmese military generals who took part in the violence responsible, she said.The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by security personnel.In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.
World fails to end Rohingya crisis: US Official
Bill Frelick, the refugee rights director at the HRW, said: “Bangladesh should register fleeing Rohingya as refugees, ensure adequate health care and education, and let them pursue livelihoods outside the camp.”
The rights watchdog underlined that tens of thousands of Rohingya in these camps are at imminent risk of landslides. “Bangladesh authorities, with the assistance of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, should urgently relocate refugees to safer ground.”
The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.
At least 12 people in Myanmar have been killed in flooding that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes in several parts of the country over the past few days, authorities said Thursday.Myanmar has been facing floods in seven regions since last week as most rivers have exceeded their danger levels by several feet and 36 dams and reservoirs are overflowing due to heavy monsoon rains.The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said 132,692 people have been taking shelter at 293 temporary camps in the flood-affected regions.“Among the 12 people killed, three are soldiers who were swept away by floodwaters during a rescue operation in northeastern Mon state,” said Director-General Ko Ko Naing of the Disaster Management Department.“Heavy rains are still hampering us from reaching many of those affected places,” he told Anadolu Agency.At least 30,000 acres of farmland have been completely destroyed due to the week-long flooding, according to the government.
Flooding in Myanmar leaves 12 dead
The UN has documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by security personnel. In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.