More Funds Needed to Help Rohingya Women, Who Have Fled Rape and Violence: Oxfam International

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Rohingya refugees who fled from ongoing military operations in Myanmars Rakhine state at a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

There are now more than 120,000 pregnant women and mothers with new babies who are among those struggling to survive in cramped camps and settlements that are ill-equipped to deal with their needs.fam

Special Correspondent | Caravan Daily

NEW DELHI — Ahead of a donor conference in Geneva, Oxfam International, a global organization working for poverty eradication, on Monday said more funds were needed to help Rohingya women, who have fled rape and violence but are not getting the protection and help needed because of lack of funds. It said there are more than 300,000 women and girls who fled from Myanmar to save their lives.

It said only a quarter (26 per cent) of the UN’s $434 million emergency humanitarian appeal has been delivered so far. With hundreds of thousands of more people fleeing over the border, more money to plug this $320m funding gap is vital.

The European Union (EU) pledged an additional 30 million euros for the Rohingya crisis at Geneva donors’ conference held on Monday which was co-hosted by it.

The European Commission has announced humanitarian and development funds in response to the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

Oxfam said the violence continues in northern Rakhine; refugees continue to arrive in increasing numbers, at least 50,000 in three days this week. Quoting the UN reports, it said military violence in northern Rakhine has increased over the recent weeks leaving many more Rohingya people at risk and likely to flee across the border. Until there is an end to all violence in Rakhine, and the government provides humanitarian access to people in need and looks to protect the rights of Rohingya people, the crisis is only likely to worsen.

Oxfam said the violence continues in northern Rakhine; refugees continue to arrive in increasing numbers, at least 50,000 in three days this week. Quoting the UN reports, it said military violence in northern Rakhine has increased over the recent weeks leaving many more Rohingya people at risk and likely to flee.

“There are now more than 120,000 pregnant women and mothers with new babies who are among those struggling to survive in cramped camps and settlements that are ill-equipped to deal with their needs. Of the 120,000 women, there are many pregnant teenagers and victims of rape. According to Cox Bazaar Civil Surgeon’s office, 50 infants are born daily into dire conditions in camps starved for water, food, shelter, and protection.”

Nazmun Nahar, Oxfam’s Gender Justice Program Manager, said: “The camps are completely overcrowded, and the limited facilities and safety puts women and girls at the risk of further harassment and sexual exploitation. The lack of toilets means women have to use open spaces.

“Women are afraid of cleaning themselves when people are around, so they use toilets or water points during the night or early morning, and there’s no guarantee of their safety. Some women drink less water and stop consuming food to avoid having to use toilets. A lot more needs to be done,” Nahar informed.

Oxfam has spoken to many women who have said that they have only washed once since crossing the border in the last two months. There are also reports of women being harassed at humanitarian aid distribution points and being victims of assault and theft.

More than half of the 600,000 Rohingya refugees who’ve arrived in Bangladesh are women, and 60 per cent of these are girls are under the age of 18. They’ve faced a treacherous journey across the border fleeing violence in northern Rakhine. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reports of women and girls, as young and five years old, being raped by men in army uniforms as they fled their homes.

The majority of the refugees arrive with only the clothes on their backs, and the 30,000 who arrived on Wednesday last week remain in no man’s land. Once they arrive in the large encampments, women and girls often find no segregated, safe, and closed toilets, bathing and washing areas. Lack of toilets and menstrual hygiene is causing urinary and skin infections, and for mothers, it’s a struggle to breastfeed infants given the lack of safe spaces. Women who have survived rape and violence are struggling to cope with the trauma and need counseling and support.

In addition to providing clean water and food, Oxfam is providing dignity kits which include sanitary towels, baskets, torches, and soaps for women and girls.

Meanwhile, in the ‘Pledging Conference on the Rohingya Refugee Crisis’ in Geneva, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides has announced the EU’s contribution of an additional €30 million for the Rohingya communities in Bangladesh. This comes on the top of over €21 million in overall EU assistance already allocated to Rohingyas and host communities in both Bangladesh and Myanmar, bringing the total EU support for this year to over €51 million.

“Today, we stand united for the right cause. The cause of stateless people who have suffered for too long: the Rohingyas. The Rohingyas deserve nothing less than every other human being in the world. They deserve a future. We have a moral duty to give these people hope. Our humanitarian support will work to provide essentials like water, sanitation, food, healthcare, protection, and education”, said Stylianides.

Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica said: “Beyond the immediate response, we need to think of long-term solutions for Rohingya Muslims and host populations alike. Whilst the focus should remain on creating an enabling environment for safe and dignified voluntary returns of Rohingya to Myanmar, we need to also ensure that local communities, who are already facing enormous challenges, are not left behind and that we provide them medium and long-term development assistance. Any solution has to inevitably include political dialogue with all parties involved.”

Commissioner Stylianides will travel to Bangladesh next week to meet the Rohingya refugees and visit EU aid projects in the affected areas also.

theclarionindia
theclarionindiahttps://clarionindia.net
Clarion India - News, Views and Insights about Indian Muslims, Dalits, Minorities, Women and Other Marginalised and Dispossessed Communities.

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