By António Guterres
UNSG
One man, a member of
this mostly Muslim ethnic group, broke down in tears describing how his eldest
son was shot dead in front of him, the man’s mother was brutally murdered and
his house was torched to ashes. He said he took refuge in a mosque but was discovered
by soldiers who abused him and burned the holy Quran.
Small children butchered
in front of their parents. Girls and women gang-raped while family members were
tortured and killed. Villages burned to the ground. Nothing could have prepared
me for the bone-chilling accounts I heard earlier this month in Bangladesh from
Rohingya refugees who had fled widespread killings and violence in Rakhine
state, Myanmar.
These victims of
what has been rightly called ethnic cleansing are suffering an anguish that can
only stir a visitor’s heartbreak and anger. Their horrific experiences defy
comprehension, yet they are the reality for nearly one million Rohingya
refugees. The Rohingya have suffered a pattern of persecution — lacking even
the most basic human rights, starting with citizenship — by their own country,
Myanmar.
Systematic human
rights abuses by the security forces in Myanmar over the past years were
designed to instill terror in the Rohingya population, leaving them with a
dreadful choice: stay on in fear of death or leave everything simply to
survive.
After a harrowing
journey to safety, these refugees are now trying to cope with the harsh
conditions in the Bangladesh district of Cox’s Bazar that have naturally
resulted from the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis.
Bangladesh is a
developing country with resources stretched to the limits. Yet, while larger
and wealthier countries around the world are closing doors to outsiders, the
government and people of Bangladesh have opened their borders and hearts to the
Rohingya. The compassion and generosity of the Bangladeshi people show the best
of humanity and have saved many thousands of lives.
But the response to
this crisis must be a global one. A Global Compact on Refugees is being
finalised by member states of the United Nations so frontline countries such as
Bangladesh are not alone in responding to a fleeing wave of humanity.
For now, however,
the United Nations and humanitarian agencies are working flat-out alongside the
refugees themselves and host communities to improve conditions. But far more
resources are desperately needed to avert disaster and to give fuller
expression to the principle that a refugee crisis calls for a global sharing of
responsibility.
An international
humanitarian appeal for almost one billion dollars is funded at only 26 per
cent. This shortfall means that malnutrition prevails in the camp. It means
that access to water and sanitation is far from ideal. It means that we cannot
provide basic education for refugee children. Not least, it means inadequate
measures to alleviate the immediate monsoon risk.
Makeshift homes hastily
built by the refugees on arrival are now threatened by mudslides, requiring
urgent action to find alternative sites and build stronger shelters.
Much has been done
to address the challenge, but there are still grave risks because of the sheer
dimensions of the crisis.
I travelled to
Bangladesh with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and welcome his leadership in
mobilising the bank’s announcement of 480 million dollars in grant-based
support to Rohingya refugees and their hosts. Yet far more is required from the
international community.
Expressions of
solidarity are not enough, the Rohingya people need genuine assistance. Despite
all they endured in Myanmar, the refugees I met in Cox’s Bazar have not given
up hope. “We need security in Myanmar and citizenship. And we want justice for
what our sisters, our daughters, our mothers have suffered,” one distraught but
determined woman told me as she gestured to a mother cradling her young baby,
the result of rape.
The crisis will not
be solved overnight. At the same time, the situation cannot be allowed to
continue indefinitely. Myanmar must create the conditions for the return of the
refugees with full rights and the promise of living in safety and dignity. This
requires a massive investment — not only in reconstruction and development for
all communities in one of Myanmar’s poorest regions, but also in reconciliation
and respect for human rights.
Unless the root
causes of the violence in Rakhine state are addressed comprehensively, misery
and hatred will continue to fuel conflict. The Rohingya people cannot become
forgotten victims. We must answer their clear appeals for help with action.
Source: Express Tribune
The
article was published in The Washington Post on July 11th