The international
community despite assurances has not sent sufficient aid for the rehabilitation
and emergency needs of the Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh from
Myanmar, BRAC Executive Director Muhammad Musa says.
A lack of support
from the international community had caused shortages of funds for various
projects and was causing delays, Musa said in his speech to an event on Sunday,
commemorating the first anniversary of the Rohingya crisis, at the BRAC Centre.
“A budget of $435
million had been estimated since September 2017. At the start we were able to
raise $335 million. These funds have been disbursed to various agencies for
their work. This means we are starting with a $100 million shortage.”
A budget of $950
million was estimated to cover costs from March 2018 to December of this year,
but so far only half of this amount has been raised, he said.
“This means we are
operating without half our budget. This shortage is persisting. And now we have
to look to the 2019 budget.”
Though $5.64 million
is needed for BRAC’s integrated assistance efforts from March to December, only
$24.2 million has been raised, he said.
“Let me speak of our
situation. We began work with a plan for 50 health centres. We later reduced
this to 30. We are currently working to manage the costs for 11 clinics. We
have even dipped into our own funds. We cannot halt this work.”
Nearly 700,000
Rohingyas fled across the border after the Myanmar military began a crackdown
in Rakhine State last August. Nearly 400,000 Rohingyas had been living in
Bangladesh before last August’s surge, having come to Bangladesh at some point
in the past few decades.
Myanmar made a
repatriation agreement with Bangladesh last December in the face of intense
international pressure, but the initiative has yet to begin.
Muhammad Musa
described the repatriation process as complex.
“This is a political
matter,” he said. “An environment must first be created in order for them to
return. This environment must be safe and the return has to be respectful,
voluntary and on a permanent basis. Myanmar must ensure this.”
The conditions for
the Rohingyas’ return have to be citizenship, compensation, safety and justice,
he said, citing BRAC research.
He added that the
organisation was working with the Bangladesh government on the Rohingya
relocation effort to Bhasanchar.
“We are still
doubtful about the Bhasanchar situation. It is essential that arrangements for
them are made before they are transferred.”
Though this
relocation effort was to start in July, it was delayed due to concerns over
poor weather. Officials from the government, international agencies and BRAC
will now be sent to make preparations for the transfer.
Source: bdnews24