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Thousands of Rohingya refugees turned up to the solidarity iftar, where UN secretary-general António Guterres and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus pledged to continue to find a solutions to their plight. Credit: Gazi Sarwar Hossain/PIDCOX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh, Mar 15 (IPS) - When United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appeared before the Rohingya refugees wearing a traditional white panjabi, a costume of Muslims, to join an iftar party in Ukhiya refugee camp, thousands who had gathered waved to welcome him.
Seeing such solidarity from the Guterres for their long plight, many Rohingya people, who were fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, were emotional, and many shed tears.
The UN chief joined the solidarity iftar party with thousands of Rohingya Muslims in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar on Friday to express his solidarity with them. Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus also attended the iftar.
“Every Rohingya went to the iftar party to hear good news from the UN chief – good news to return to our homes in Myanmar. We all want to go back to our home of origin,” Rohingya youth, Ro Arfat Khan told IPS.
Before joining the iftar party, Antonio Guterres visited a learning centre in Ukhiya camp and exchanged views with Rohingya children. The children told the UN chief that they want to go back to their home in Myanmar, requesting that he helps ensure their safe and dignified return.
Guterres spoke to Rohingya women and imams and also visited the Rohingya cultural centre to get messages from the forcibly displaced Rohingya refugees.
During his visit to the refugee camp, the UN secretary-general said in this year's Ramadan visit, he got two clear messages from Rohingyas – they want to go back to Myanmar and better conditions in camps.
He said the international community should do everything to re-establish peace in Myanmar and to end discrimination and persecution of the Rohingyas.
Aid Cuts to Worsen Situation
Thousands of Rohingya refugees turned up to the solidarity iftar, where UN secretary-general António Guterres and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus pledged to continue to find a solution to their plight. Credit: Gazi Sarwar Hossain/PIDDue to a critical funding shortfall for its emergency response, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said it would have to halve its per-person monthly allocation for food for Rohingyas in Bangladesh from USD 12.50 to USD 6 per day from April 1.
“Unfortunately, recently, dramatic cuts in humanitarian aid were announced by the United States and by several other countries, mainly in Europe, and because of that, we are at risk of cutting the food rations in this camp,” Guterres said.
He pledged that the UN would continue efforts to mobilise funds for Rohingyas to avoid a situation in which people would suffer even more and where some people could even die.
“I have to confess that we are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced cuts by several countries of their financial assistance; we are facing a dramatic risk, a risk to reduce the food rations to the Rohingya refugees to a level that would be 40 per cent of 2025,” he said.
He predicted that an unmitigated disaster may occur due to aid cuts and appealed to the international community, saying it had an obligation to invest to support Rohingyas in Bangladesh to ease their plight.
“We will do everything to solve the problem of food rations,” Guterres added.
Recalling that the international community has a special obligation to ensure aid reaches Rohingya refugees, he said the world has not “forgotten them”.
“That is why the cuts by the international community of the aid to Rohingya refugees are unacceptable,” said Guterres. “I repeat: Cox’s Bazar is ground zero for the impact of budget cuts on people in desperate need and we must do everything to make sure that that does not happen.”
Resilient Rohingyas
According to him, the forcibly displaced, over one million Rohingyas, who took shelter in Bangladesh after extreme violence against them in 2017, are resilient, but they need the world’s support.
The UN chief said that many Rohingya Muslims arrived in Cox’s Bazar camp after massacres in Rakhine state and decades of discrimination and persecution, escaping brutal human rights violations that triggered widespread anti-Muslim hate.
“Rohingya refugees have come here for what people anywhere seek: protection, dignity, safety for them and their families.”
Guterres said he was inspired by the courage of Rohingyas and moved by their determination. He listened to harrowing accounts of their ordeals in Myanmar and their journeys to Bangladesh.
“They want to go home – Myanmar is their homeland. And returning in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner is the primary solution to this crisis,” he said.
Guterres urged the Myanmar authorities to take steps in accordance with international humanitarian law to prevent communal tension and violence, and create an environment for the safe and dignified return of Rohingyas to their home of origin in Rakhine state.
“But the situation in Myanmar remains dire, including in Rakhine state. Until the conflict and systematic persecution end, we must support those who need protection here in Bangladesh,” he added.
Noting that the solution must be found in Myanmar, Guterres said the UN will continue efforts to ensure the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
“Until then, I urge the international community not to reduce the support to Rohingya refugees,” he added.
Reviving Hopes
After the iftar on Friday, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Prof Yunus delivered his speech in the local dialect, which Rohingya refugees interpreted as a message of solidarity.
“The UN Secretary-General has come to resolve the suffering of the Rohingyas. Not this Eid, (but) I hope, the Rohingyas will be able to celebrate their Eid in their country next time.”
He said if necessary, they will have to fight with the whole world to bring the Rohingyas back to their home of origin.
“During the Eid, people visit the graves of their dearest relatives. The Rohingyas do not even have that opportunity,” the Bangladesh chief adviser said.
Abdur Rahman, who sheltered in the Cox’s Bazar camp in 2017, said around 100,000 Rohingyas were supposed to join the iftar party on Friday, but over 300,000 gathered there to get good news about their return to Myanmar.
“We all – from children to the old – want to go back to our homes. The UN chief’s visit inspired us,” he said.
Ro Arfat said sometimes the Rohingya people become hopeless as they have no state and no home now.
“But, the visit of two dignitaries – the UN chief and the chief adviser – helps us revive our hopes about our home return. This hope has returned to our mind,” he added.
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