UNGA backs Dhaka on Rohingya crisis

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

The President of 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Miroslav Lajčák, has offered support to Bangladesh in addressing the Rohingya crisis. During a meeting with Dr. Dipu Moni, MP, former foreign minister and current chairman of the standing committee on foreign ministry in parliament, in New York on Wednesday, he also thanked Bangladesh for its assistance to the refugees, victims of atrocities by the Myanmar security forces and local Buddhist mobs, according to a read out of the meeting forwarded by the UN information centre in Dhaka yesterday.

The UNGA president noted that the matter was being discussed in the general assembly’s Third Committee and that the UN secretary-general and UN Security Council were already playing an active role.

The president recognized that Bangladesh was an important voice and had considerable knowledge and expertise on the Rohingya issue, given its understanding of the situation on the ground. In that regard, Bangladesh could help the international community to agree on the best way forward.   

They discussed the president’s priorities for the 72nd session, including migration, peace and conflict prevention, sustainable development, and United Nations reforms.

Meanwhile, quoting humanitarian agencies working on the ground, the UN said on Wednesday that the number of Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar and arrived in Bangladesh since August 25 has reached 604,000 and expressed concerns over the lack of access to clean water for most of the arrivals.

“Refugees have sought shelter in Bangladesh since the outbreak of violence in Myanmar on 25 August,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a regular briefing in New York.

“More than half of the new arrivals are living in the Kutupalong Expansion Site, which includes several makeshift settlements and land allocated by the Government. Nearly 570,000 people have received food assistance and nearly 310,000 people received health care,” he said

“There are concerns about sanitation, with less than one quarter of sites hosting refugees having access to clean water,” he added.

 

UNGA backs Dhaka on Rohingya crisis

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

The President of 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Miroslav Lajčk, has offered support to Bangladesh in addressing the Rohingya crisis. During a meeting with Dr. Dipu Moni, MP, former foreign minister and current chairman of the standing committee on foreign ministry in parliament, in New York on Wednesday, he also thanked Bangladesh for its assistance to the refugees, victims of atrocities by the Myanmar security forces and local Buddhist mobs, according to a read out of the meeting forwarded by the UN information centre in Dhaka yesterday. The UNGA president noted that the matter was being discussed in the general assemblys Third Committee and that the UN secretary-general and UN Security Council were already playing an active role. The president recognized that Bangladesh was an important voice and had considerable knowledge and expertise on the Rohingya issue, given its understanding of the situation on the ground. In that regard, Bangladesh could help the international community to agree on the best way forward. They discussed the presidents priorities for the 72nd session, including migration, peace and conflict prevention, sustainable development, and United Nations reforms. Meanwhile, quoting humanitarian agencies working on the ground, the UN said on Wednesday that the number of Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar and arrived in Bangladesh since August 25 has reached 604,000 and expressed concerns over the lack of access to clean water for most of the arrivals. Refugees have sought shelter in Bangladesh since the outbreak of violence in Myanmar on 25 August, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a regular briefing in New York. More than half of the new arrivals are living in the Kutupalong Expansion Site, which includes several makeshift settlements and land allocated by the Government. Nearly 570,000 people have received food assistance and nearly 310,000 people received health care, he said There are concerns about sanitation, with less than one quarter of sites hosting refugees having access to clean water, he added.