By reliefweb
UN refugee chief tells UN Security Council causes of the
crisis originate in Myanmar and solutions for the voluntary return of thousands
of refugees must be found there.
NEW YORK – Restoring rights to hundreds of thousands of
Rohingya refugees is key to any plan to allow for their safe return to Myanmar,
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told the UN Security Council
today.
More than 688,000 refugees have fled Myanmar to
Bangladesh since late August in a rapid, chaotic outflow driven by violence
that follows decades of deep repression and exclusion in their homeland.
“The causes of this crisis originate in Myanmar; and a
genuine search for solutions must finally start,” Grandi said in a video
address to the Council . “At the heart of it all is the restoration of rights -
including the right of refugees to return home - voluntarily, and in safe,
dignified conditions.”
The refugee crisis erupted in late August when Myanmar
armed forces launched a security operation in the north of Rakhine State,
driving thousands of children, women and men to flee over the border to
Bangladesh in search of safety.
Nearly six months later, that outflow is now dramatically
reduced - but still continues, Grandi said. He warned that “conditions in
Myanmar are not yet conducive” to their voluntary repatriation.
“The causes of this crisis originate in Myanmar, and a
genuine search for solutions must finally start.”
“The causes of their flight have not been addressed, and
we have yet to see substantive progress on addressing the exclusion and denial
of rights that has deepened over the last decades, rooted in their lack of
citizenship,” he continued.
Grandi was speaking from Jordan where he was on mission.
He welcomed the dialogue between the Government of Bangladesh and the
Government of the Union of Myanmar on the voluntary repatriation of refugees,
and the commitment to international standards on voluntary, safe and dignified
return set out in a recent agreement between the two countries.
In line with UNHCR’s responsibility to help resolve
refugee crises, he said the agency had extended an offer of support to both
governments, including to participate in the joint working group established to
work on its implementation, in line with the UN Refugee Agency’s mandate. That
offer remains open.
Grandi stressed that UNHCR has not had access to affected
areas of the northern part of Rakhine State since August 2017, and that access
in central Rakhine has also been curtailed. Such presence and access remains
essential to monitor protection conditions, provide independent information to
refugees, and accompany returns as and when they take place.
Grandi noted there are also around 120,000 internally
displaced people currently in the central part of Rakhine State, mainly
Rohingya driven from their homes by inter-communal violence, who are now in
their sixth year of confined encampment. He highlighted that finding solutions
for them would also help build confidence among refugees.
“Allowing internally displaced people to return home, and
fast-tracking confirmation of their citizenship would send a strong signal to
refugees.”
“Granting freedom of movement, allowing internally
displaced people to return home, and fast-tracking confirmation of their
citizenship would send a strong signal to refugees in Bangladesh that Myanmar
is genuinely committed to taking responsibility for their protection and
well-being, and to pursuing lasting solutions.”
In his briefing, Grandi commended the Government and
people of Bangladesh for continuing to receive refugees and provide them with
protection and support in the Kutupalong area in Cox’s Bazar - which is now the
largest refugee settlement in the world.
He said the Government, together with highly-skilled
national and local organizations, and the United Nations and other humanitarian
agencies, with solid donor support, has mounted an impressive response,
although conditions there remain overcrowded and precarious for many.
Disease outbreaks – including diphtheria – remain a
significant risk at the sprawling settlements. Meanwhile, preparations underway
ahead of the monsoon rains expected in March are a “race against time” to avert
another emergency.
More than 100,000 refugees are currently located in flood
or landslide prone areas, Grandi said, while tens of thousands of particularly
vulnerable refugees need to be relocated as their lives are “at grave risk.”
“The Government is steering a massive emergency
preparedness effort, but international support must be stepped up to avert a
catastrophe.”