Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Calls for Solutions Grow at UN Pledging Conference for Rohingya Refugees

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - At the launch of this year's Rohingya refugee donor's
   conference, Bangladesh led a chorus of growing voices calling for
   durable solutions to resolve theongoing crisis.

   New pledges have been rolling in, but U.N. agencies are expressing
   concern about donor fatigue. They worry they might not receive the $943
   million they need to assist 1.4million Rohingya refugees and the
   Bangladeshi communities hosting them in Cox's Bazar.
   Bangladesh's deputy minister of foreign affairs Shahriar Alam attends
   the 14th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Dec. 16, 2019 in Madrid,
   Spain.

   Last year, the U.N.'s $1 billion Joint Response Plan garnered only 60%
   of that amount. Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs
   ShahriarAlamsaidthelaunch is the fourth annual appeal for the Rohingya
   temporarily sheltering in his country.

   He saidhe wondered how long the refugees can continue to suffer in
   overcrowded camps and how long the international community can sustain
   such massive humanitarian support. He saidit is important to seek a
   permanent solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis to avoid repeating
   similar exercises every year.

   "All undertakings under the JRP (Joint Response Plan) or any other
   fundingmechanism should be implemented given this overarching objective
   in mind," Alam said."The priority areas that have been identified in
   the JRP must be aligned with the coreobjective of preparing the
   Rohingyas for their return and any project, such as education or skill
   development, should be designed and implemented in ways that will help
   Rohingyas to integrate into their society on their return to Myanmar."

   The minister acknowledges this might not be the most propitious time
   for the Rohingya to return home.
   The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi talks
   to the media during his visit to the Um Rakuba refugee camp on the
   Sudan-Ethiopia border, Sudan, Nov. 28, 2020.

   U.N.High Commissioner for RefugeesFilippo Grandi agrees the military
   coup by Myanmar's generalsonFebruary first precludes the safe and
   dignified return of the refugees.

   He saidtheUNHCRand other agencies are present in Rakhine State in
   Myanmar to create the conditions necessary for the refugees to return
   to their homes of origin.

   "Clearly this has not happened so far because besides the work that we
   do, more work, more action needs to be taken on the Myanmar side in
   terms of freedom of movement, access to services, ending the
   discrimination that has caused, in fact, the exodus of people into
   Bangladesh," Grandi said.

   Meanwhile, High Commissioner Grandi saidthe Rohingya people must not be
   forgotten. He says theinternational community must continue to support
   the refugees as they have no other means of survival.

   He notes Rohingya continue to flee violence in Myanmar. He renews his
   appeal to neighboring countries, mainly India and Thailand, to keep
   their borders open and not to deport them back to a country where their
   lives are at risk.

.