Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has conducted its first high-level inspection of Rohingya camps since the change in government, pledging better living conditions for the displaced community in Cox’s Bazar.
State minister Shama Obaed Islam led the delegation to the camps, where around 1.3 million Rohingya live in overcrowded conditions after fleeing Myanmar’s 2017 military crackdown.
The team inspected World Food Programme food distribution centres, schools for refugee children and Médecins Sans Frontières medical facilities to assess humanitarian services and ground realities.
Obaed met elected Rohingya representatives, including youth and women leaders, and assured them that Bangladesh would work to create conditions for their dignified and safe repatriation to Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The delegation later held consultations at the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner’s office with security officials, UN agencies and local and international NGOs.
Meanwhile, Unicef has secured an $8.5 million emergency grant from the Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund to support more than 5.78 lakh camp residents. The aid will focus on women, children and 5,500 people with special needs through nutrition screening, food support, and improved water and sanitation services.