Lasting peace not possible in Rakhine without inclusive dev, says IOM

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing has said there can be no lasting peace in Rakhine State of Myanmar without inclusive development, reports UNB. “IOM, together with our UN partners, supports the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State established by Myanmar’s Office of the State Counsellor and the Kofi Annan Foundation,” he said. The IOM DG said they see this as a ‘roadmap to peaceful co-existence’ in Rakhine and welcome the Myanmar government’s commitment to implement the Commission’s findings.

“The first step, in that implementation process, will be to urgently allow UN agencies to resume their work in Rakhine State,” he wrote in his recent article titled ‘Why We Must Intervene to End the Suffering of Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar’. But the most urgent need is now in Cox’s Bazar on the other side of the border, said Swing.

“Unless we support the efforts of the Bangladesh government to provide immediate aid to the half million people who have arrived over the past month, many of the most vulnerable - women, children and the elderly - will die. They’ll be the victims of neglect,” he said.

Bangladesh, IOM and its partners are now struggling to provide adequate shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection to hundreds of thousands camped out over the vast muddy sites that now dot Cox’s Bazar.

Five weeks on from the start of the crisis, funding has started to arrive, but much more will be needed. Swing said if IOM’s appeal to the international community for US$ 120 million does not meet its target, prospects for the refugees are dismal. “The money is desperately needed for shelter and non-food relief items, site development, site management; water and sanitation, health, protection, coordination, and communication and feedback in the settlements.”

Without it, families will continue to suffer in the open or under inadequate plastic sheeting under daily, heavy rain, he said. The lack of clean water and sanitation, which has already led to fecal contamination of water sources, will lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases, including cholera.

“Women who have suffered violent sexual assault will not get the vital care that they need, and often lifesaving. And a lack of protection will make the refugees - particularly women and children - targets for human traffickers,” Swing said.

The Rohingyas who fled Rakhine did so in the belief that they would find safety and protection in Cox’s Bazar. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that the suffering and trauma that they have experienced on the way must end,” Swing said.

In late August, Swing was alerted by their Chief of Mission in Dhaka to a new exodus of people fleeing Myanmar’s North Rakhine State and arriving in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district.

They were seeking protection in the same makeshift camps where over 80,000 of their community have found safety since an earlier outbreak of violence in October 2016.

IOM, the UN Migration Agency, which he leads, coordinates the work of humanitarian agencies in Cox’s Bazar on behalf of the Bangladesh government.

He said the world has reacted with horror to the images of their flight, and the stories of murder, rape and arson brought from their still smoldering villages in North Rakhine State.

“But this horror will have to be matched by action on the part of the international community, if we’re to avert a humanitarian disaster on both sides of the border. Today, IOM appealed for US$ 120 million between now and February 2018 to begin to address this humanitarian crisis,” he said.

For decades the Muslims of Rakhine State, who self-identify as Rohingya, have faced persecution and abuse. And, like other groups around the world, they have reacted with one of the few responses open to them - flight.

This has triggered the largest and fastest flow of destitute people across a border since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. “If we’re to reverse this situation, stabilise the region and help them to return home, we cannot remain silent,” said the IOM DG.

Lasting peace not possible in Rakhine without inclusive dev, says IOM

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing has said there can be no lasting peace in Rakhine State of Myanmar without inclusive development, reports UNB. IOM, together with our UN partners, supports the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State established by Myanmars Office of the State Counsellor and the Kofi Annan Foundation, he said. The IOM DG said they see this as a roadmap to peaceful co-existence in Rakhine and welcome the Myanmar governments commitment to implement the Commissions findings. The first step, in that implementation process, will be to urgently allow UN agencies to resume their work in Rakhine State, he wrote in his recent article titled Why We Must Intervene to End the Suffering of Rohingyas in Coxs Bazar. But the most urgent need is now in Coxs Bazar on the other side of the border, said Swing. Unless we support the efforts of the Bangladesh government to provide immediate aid to the half million people who have arrived over the past month, many of the most vulnerable - women, children and the elderly - will die. Theyll be the victims of neglect, he said. Bangladesh, IOM and its partners are now struggling to provide adequate shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection to hundreds of thousands camped out over the vast muddy sites that now dot Coxs Bazar. Five weeks on from the start of the crisis, funding has started to arrive, but much more will be needed. Swing said if IOMs appeal to the international community for US$ 120 million does not meet its target, prospects for the refugees are dismal. The money is desperately needed for shelter and non-food relief items, site development, site management; water and sanitation, health, protection, coordination, and communication and feedback in the settlements. Without it, families will continue to suffer in the open or under inadequate plastic sheeting under daily, heavy rain, he said. The lack of clean water and sanitation, which has already led to fecal contamination of water sources, will lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases, including cholera. Women who have suffered violent sexual assault will not get the vital care that they need, and often lifesaving. And a lack of protection will make the refugees - particularly women and children - targets for human traffickers, Swing said. The Rohingyas who fled Rakhine did so in the belief that they would find safety and protection in Coxs Bazar. Its our responsibility to ensure that the suffering and trauma that they have experienced on the way must end, Swing said. In late August, Swing was alerted by their Chief of Mission in Dhaka to a new exodus of people fleeing Myanmars North Rakhine State and arriving in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district. They were seeking protection in the same makeshift camps where over 80,000 of their community have found safety since an earlier outbreak of violence in October 2016. IOM, the UN Migration Agency, which he leads, coordinates the work of humanitarian agencies in Coxs Bazar on behalf of the Bangladesh government. He said the world has reacted with horror to the images of their flight, and the stories of murder, rape and arson brought from their still smoldering villages in North Rakhine State. But this horror will have to be matched by action on the part of the international community, if were to avert a humanitarian disaster on both sides of the border. Today, IOM appealed for US$ 120 million between now and February 2018 to begin to address this humanitarian crisis, he said. For decades the Muslims of Rakhine State, who self-identify as Rohingya, have faced persecution and abuse. And, like other groups around the world, they have reacted with one of the few responses open to them - flight. This has triggered the largest and fastest flow of destitute people across a border since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. If were to reverse this situation, stabilise the region and help them to return home, we cannot remain silent, said the IOM DG.