US calls for continued aid for Rohingya on anniversary of ‘genocide’

The United States has called upon the international community to continue providing humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh until conditions in Myanmar improve to a level that will allow their repatriation.

It says the international community must keep supporting the Bangladesh government and the Bangladeshi communities hosting the refugees from Myanmar.

“As other crises around the world compete for limited resources, it is also increasingly important to identify ways Rohingya can contribute to the economic well-being of their host communities and their own families,” the US Embassy in Dhaka said in a statement on Friday.

This includes facilitating the pursuit of income-generating activities and formal education, ensuring Rohingya communities are safe, and by giving Rohingya a greater role in their own futures through participation in Rohingya civil society organisations, according to the embassy.

“We look forward to exchanging best practices, ideas, and resources in helping identify durable solutions for Rohingya refugees.”

It issued the statement to mark the sixth anniversary of the start of what it called genocide against Rohingya by the Myanmar military in a “brutal campaign of violence, rape, and murder against Rohingya men, women, and children”.

“The regime’s genocidal actions forced three-quarters of a million Rohingya to flee with the few belongings they could carry.”

Commending Bangladesh for sheltering the refugees, the US Embassy said the American people have contributed more than $2.1 billion since 2017 in response to the humanitarian crisis that unfolded across the region.

The sum includes more than $1.7 billion in Bangladesh to support Rohingya refugees and the local communities that” so generously host them, and we remain steadfast in our support”.

The US Embassy stressed that the refugees deserve an opportunity to return to their homes in safety and dignity, raise their families in peace, and live meaningful and purposeful lives.

“To that end, the United States remains committed to finding solutions to the crisis, justice for its victims, and accountability for the perpetrators of these atrocities, through targeted sanctions, international pressure, and support to the national and international courts taking action against those responsible.”

It also emphasised resettlement of some refugees to demonstrate responsibility-sharing and contribute to comprehensive solutions for the plight of Rohingya.

“We applaud the generosity of other countries who are joining this international resettlement effort, and we hope the international community – beyond traditional resettlement countries – joins this important effort.”

Since 2009, the United States has sheltered nearly 13,000 Rohingya from the region, including Bangladesh, according to the statement.

“As this crisis enters its seventh year, it is of utmost importance that we persist in exploring all possible options to alleviate or end the suffering of Rohingya refugees throughout the region,” the embassy added.