UN chief's visit to highlight need of more global support for Rohingyas

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrives here on July 1 on a joint visit with World Bank Group President Dr Jim Yong Kim to see Rohingya situation on the ground and UN agencies’ engagement in the camps.

Their visit will highlight the generosity of Bangladesh in hosting the world’s largest refugee influx of 2017 and the need of the international community to do more, said Spokesman for the Secretary‑General StephaneDujarric officially announcing the joint important visit.

They will review the situation of the newly arrived Rohingyas in Bangladesh, and assess progress towards a safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees, in line with international standards.

The Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank Group will be accompanied by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) FilippoGrandi and the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund Dr Natalia Kanem.

The visit also aims to lay the groundwork for further dialogue with the government of Bangladesh on medium-term planning for the refugee situation and to reiterate the UN and the World Bank’s support for finding comprehensive solutions to the situation of the Rohingya people, says the UN.

In Dhaka, the Secretary-General and the World Bank President will have bilateral meetings with Bangladeshi authorities, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

On July 2, they will travel to Cox’s Bazar to visit Rohingya refugee communities and humanitarian workers, and advocate for more donor support.

On April 6, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited the UN Secretary-General to visit Bangladesh to see for himself the plight of Rohingyas who have taken shelter here amid persecution in Myanmar.

During the telephonic conversation, Sheikh Hasina also sought UN cooperation in implementing the agreement signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar over the Rohingya repartition.

Some 700,000 Rohingya crossed the Bangladesh border from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25 last year.

The Secretary-General is expected to return in New York on July 3.

ICRC President due Saturday

President of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer arrives here on Saturday and he will visit the Rohingya camps on July 1.

The visit comes barely a month after the United Nations Security Council’s visit to the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Before his arrival here, the ICRC president was also scheduled to visit Myanmar to see situation in Rakhine State.

In Bangladesh, he will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apart from his meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs.

Maurer will meet affected communities and hold meetings with representatives of the Myanmar and Bangladesh governments, the ICRC said.

Access to food, healthcare, education and the necessities of life has been difficult for everyone.

“Humanitarian organisations are doing their best to alleviate the suffering in very difficult circumstances, as the monsoon season advances. But 10 months on, too many people are still suffering too much, despite all the talking and all the efforts," said Peter Maurer.

“While the emergency response continues, there must be urgent progress – from humanitarians, development actors, and the authorities – on building sustainable solutions,” he said.

Source: unb