Press release from 10/22/2020 |
Berlin – In view of the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis, the EU, the USA, Great Britain and the refugee commissioner are judging UNHCR a virtual international donor conference on Thursday, October 22nd. The aim is to finance the international community’s “Humanitarian Response Plan” for the Rohingya, for which over 700 million euros are still missing.
Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller said:
“Myanmar has committed the most serious crimes against the Muslim Rohingya minority, there has been murder and displacement. A million people have fled to Bangladesh and are living there under catastrophic conditions. The conflict must finally end and the perpetrators brought to justice. But to this day it has been shown the government has given them no way back. That is why we have ended direct cooperation with the government of Myanmar and are concentrating our support on the refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Since 2017, Germany has invested around 160 million euros in support of the Rohingya, 100 million euros of which through the Federal Development Ministry. The focus is on education, health and water supply as well as emergency shelters so that people are protected and supplied with electricity during typhoons.
Müller continues: “The international community must now raise the funds to ensure the survival of the Rohingya. Germany is leading the way. We are specifically strengthening our measures to prevent Corona with an additional 30 million euros. In February I was in Kutupalong, the largest Rohingya refugee camp. In the camps there is no running water, no sewage treatment plant – hygienic conditions that a European can hardly imagine. The sewage runs through the middle of the camp. We have already distributed masks and set up mobile washing facilities. Now we are strengthening that and We are building a canal system, sewage and drinking water systems and thus improving the health conditions of 130,000 Rohingya. And we are increasing our commitment to more education so that no lost generation has to grow up. We have already trained 700 teachers, 35,000 Rohingya children in the camps and primary school Enables 13,000 young people to receive training or further education. “
background
In 2017, more than 700,000 members of the predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority had to flee the violence of the military from Myanmar to Bangladesh. The people have not been able to return to their homeland to this day. The UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar is currently criticizing the fact that in recent months the military has acted increasingly brutally against the civilian population, especially the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities. She calls for an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity according to international standards.
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