The Crime Desk: The UN Special Envoy on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Oliver D. Shatter, called for action to solve the crisis after seeing the ‘extremely dire’ situation in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar camp. He also commented that the Rohingya refugees who have taken refuge in Bangladesh are in danger of becoming the ‘new Palestinians’. The Guardian
Oliver D. Shatter said the nearly 1 million people living in the overcrowded Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar should be given the right to work in Bangladesh, where they are sheltered.
Speaking to the Guardian after a recent visit to Cox’s Bazar, de Schutter said the situation was “horrible”.
Most of the refugees who fled the Myanmar army’s brutal crackdown in 2017 are sheltering in Bangladesh. De Shatter said the violence against the Rohingyas caused widespread outrage in the international arena more than five years ago. There was also a genocide case before the UN Supreme Court.
But international donors are now themselves in crisis due to crises elsewhere. The World Food Program (WFP) recently announced that, due to a lack of funding, it has been forced to reduce food allowances for Rohingya refugees to just $8 per person.
High food inflation has created new challenges in recent months, de Schutter said. This will significantly reduce calorie intake and nutritional quality for refugees. Malnutrition rates among children will increase significantly. The worst part is that these people (Rohingyas) are completely dependent on humanitarian aid.
This special envoy of the United Nations also said that the Rohingya spend their days in complete laziness. As a result, gender-based violence is on the rise. Security in the camps is problematic, with armed groups controlling drug trafficking across the Myanmar border. As a result, there have been shootings between these groups. This is very worrying.
De Shatter said that the Bangladesh government fears that if Rohingyas are allowed to work, they will be encouraged to stay in this country for a long time. Government services will be burdened, and employment opportunities for others will decrease. But if they can work, pay taxes, and start small businesses, then employment opportunities can be created for others. People have the right to a livelihood.
The Guardian reports that the Bangladesh government has criticized the international community for failing to pressure the Myanmar junta to allow the Rohingya to return safely to their homeland. Pointing to the lack of international funding to help refugees.
A Rohingya delegation visited Myanmar earlier this month as part of repatriation efforts. However, after the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, hopes of a return have further diminished.
De Shatter said Myanmar must be held accountable for creating the right environment for safe repatriation. The Rohingya crisis has fallen under international scrutiny. Meanwhile, more attention is needed. Otherwise, these people will be the new Palestinians within 10 years.
