OIC, humanitarian partners seek global support for Rohingyas, host  communities

The visiting delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), joined by representatives from the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), the Qatar Fund for Development  (QFFD), the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and Kuwait's Zakat  House called on the international communities to come forward with sustainable support for the Rohingyas and host communities in Bangladesh.

The  mission was organised and co-led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, within the framework of the OIC-UNHCR partnership Plan of Action concluded in 2022. 

The visit ended on Thursday (10 August) shed light on the worsening humanitarian situation and compounded needs of  Rohingya refugees and their hosts in the district of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh as the  situation approaches the six -year mark of the unprecedented 2017 influx of Rohingya  from Rakhine State in Myanmar. 

The delegation visited several programmes supported by UNHCR and partners and  observed the acute needs of the refugees and their hosts. 

They also witnessed how  opportunities can be created for both communities to reduce reliance on aid and advance  livelihoods through skills development and capacity-building programmes in community  centers. 

The visit came during a period of heavy monsoon rains that had caused severe  damage to shelters, facilities and infrastructure adding to the predicament of the already  fragile displaced communities. The delegation witnessed firsthand UNHCR's disaster risk  management and preparedness activities aimed at mitigating climate-related risks and  averting a further deterioration of living conditions caused by adverse weather. 

Assistant Secretary General of the OIC, Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakheet, commended the  Government and people of Bangladesh for their generosity in hosting one of the most  vulnerable refugee populations in the world. Notably, he lauded the initiatives undertaken  to facilitate access by Rohingya children to the Myanmar curriculum in the Myanmar  language in the learning centers in the camps in preparation of voluntarily return and  reintegration in their ancestral society in Myanmar. "I call on all countries, especially the  Member States of the OIC, to continue showing solidarity by generously supporting the  Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian partners in responding to the pressing needs  of the Rohingya population and their hosts. The diplomatic track must advance hand in  hand with humanitarian efforts to deal with the root causes of the problem and reach a  permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis in accordance with the OIC's relevant resolutions" he added. 

Efforts to bring about solutions to the Rohingya crisis must remain the primary objective  of the response. The voluntary return of the Rohingya in safety and dignity to Myanmar  and their sustainable reintegration remains the priority. Refugees' enhanced resilience in  

the camps and resettlement, educational and labor opportunities in third countries should  also be sought as part of a comprehensive approach to solutions. 

"We thank the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for its commitment to and solidarity  with the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh", said Johannes van der Klaauw, the UNHCR  Representative in Bangladesh. "The Rohingya response is facing a severe funding crisis."