UNHCR's protection chief completes visit to Myanmar with call for more support to Rakhine state
Top official of the UN refugee agency responsible for protection has called for more concerted support to resolve the plight of displaced people in Myanmar.
YANGON, Myanmar, July 16 (UNHCR) - A top official of the UN refugee agency responsible for protection has called for more concerted support to resolve the plight of displaced people in Myanmar and those with undetermined citizenship.
UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Volker Türk, made his remarks at the end of a five-day mission to Myanmar on Monday during which he visited Yangon and the capital Nay Pyi Taw, as well as Sittwe and Maungdaw in Rakhine state.
Rakhine state is one of the least developed in the country. It is home not only to internally displaced people, but also to an estimated 1 million people of undetermined citizenship -- predominantly Rohingya living in the state's northern townships.
This population is affected by restrictions on freedom of movement and access to livelihoods and services such as health and education.
Türk heard directly from the affected populations in Rakhine state, where 140,000 people are still internally displaced after the outbreak of inter-communal violence three years ago.
In a positive development, when breaking the Ramadan fast together with Rakhine and Rohingya community leaders in Maungdaw, he was told that while challenges remain in building trust, the communities have a long history of co-existence.
"We have been living together since before Maungdaw town existed," said one Rohingya leader. His comment was then affirmed by a Rakhine representative.
Travelling to a small village an hour's drive from Maungdaw, Türk saw first-hand the impact of restrictions on the Rohingya population and the harmful effects of their lack of rights associated with citizenship. "Local orders" are in place that prevent them from moving easily from one village to another, greatly limiting their livelihoods. They also lack access to higher educational opportunities. Since June 2012, Rohingya students have been unable to attend Sittwe University - the only university in the state.
In Nay Pyi Taw, he held discussions with U Khin Yi, Minister for Immigration and Population, and other government officials and parliamentarians.
Following up on the issues raised in Bangkok in late May at a regional meeting on irregular migration in the Indian Ocean, Türk discussed the recent "boat crisis" in the region and the long-term situation in Rakhine state. He reiterated UNHCR's readiness to assist all governments in the region, including that of Myanmar, to address the movements of people from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
At the end of his visit, the Assistant High Commissioner shared his findings at a briefing with diplomats and representatives of international organisations in Yangon.
Describing the regional dimension of the maritime movements in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, he emphasised that in order to find solutions, it is key to work with all of the communities, together with the authorities, to promote peaceful co-existence in the Rakhine state.
"The future of the country depends on the future of all of its composite parts," Türk said at the briefing, noting that everyone in the country should have the opportunity to benefit from the transformation currently taking place.
By Kasita Rochanakorn in Yangon, Myanmar
Related news and stories
UNHCR statement on Bangladesh, Myanmar bilateral pilot project on Rohingya returns
UNHCR, partners seek $876m for Rohingya refugees facing 'chilling fog of uncertainty' and for Bangladeshi hosts
UNHCR seeks comprehensive regional response to address rise in deadly South-East Asia sea journeys
UNHCR urges States to act now to save lives in the Andaman Sea
Young Rohingya volunteers confront gender-based violence in crowded Bangladesh camps
Threadbare disability support faces uncertain future in Bangladesh refugee camps
Your search for « rohingya » matched 1144 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 6 of 112 pages.
-
Over 250,000 Rohingya refugees get identity documents, for many a first
17 May 2019 ... Over a quarter of a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have now been jointly registered and provided with identity cards by the Bangladesh authorities and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Rohingya ...... -
Rohingya and Bangladeshi teachers pair up to tackle education hurdles in camps
20 Jul 2022 ... And yet, nearly five years later, Shah, now 22, is leading a class of about 40 Rohingya children seated on the floor of a bamboo-framed classroom in Kutupalong camp, home to some 750,000 Rohingya ...... -
Stateless Rohingya continue to struggle for survival in Myanmar
25 Aug 2022 ... Over the course of her life, Za Beda, a 27-year-old Rohingya woman living in Myanmar’s western ... A decade later, over 153,000 Rohingya like her remain displaced, the majority of them confined to ...... -
UNHCR statement on Bangladesh, Myanmar bilateral pilot project on Rohingya returns
19 Mar 2023 ... returns of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar remains unchanged. In UNHCR’s assessment, conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State are currently not conducive to the sustainable return of Rohingya refugees. ...... -
Give the Rohingya hope for a future, urges UNHCR chief
11 Jul 2017 ... The High Commissioner wrapped up his visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday after meeting with Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. In Kutupalong refugee camp, Rohingya refugees told him that after spending 26 ...... -
Desperation drives more Rohingya onto smugglers' boats
22 Jan 2013 ... In 2012, an estimated 13,000 people - among them the Rohingya from western Myanmar as well as ... So why are more and more Rohingya taking the dangerous voyage? Many of the Rohingya in Bangladesh ...... -
Public health response in Rohingya refugee settlements on alert as first coronavirus case confirmed
15 May 2020 ... intensified their COVID-19 response in the Rohingya refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar area of ... According to the Government of Bangladesh, one Rohingya refugee has tested positive for COVID-19 in ...... -
Rohingya arrivals in Bangladesh struggle to get back on their feet
2 Feb 2017 ... Iliyas and Rojia are among more than 60,000 Rohingya who are believed to have sought safety in ... The agency has also been appealing for full access to the new Rohingya arrivals in Bangladesh, where ...... -
Donors pledge over US$344 million in response to Rohingya refugee crisis
23 Oct 2017 ... of critical humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. ... humanitarian needs have sent nearly 600,000 Rohingya from the northern Rakhine state into Cox’s ......