New UK aid underlines “continued commitment” to the Rohingya people

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma has announced a new package of UK aid support to the Rohingya crisis.

The new UK aid funding underlines a long-term commitment to the Rohingya people, who remain stateless since they were forced to flee their homes in the face of violence in Myanmar in August 2017.

The UK has been supporting the Rohingya since 2012 and this further £87 million package will help provide food, healthcare, water, sanitation, care and counselling for sexual violence survivors, as well as protection for vulnerable groups including women and girls.

“It is hard to truly grasp the size of the humanitarian crisis faced by the Rohingya people. More than 700,000 were forced to flee their home in the face of horrific brutality. Women and girls represent over half of the camp population in Bangladesh, and this new funding will provide vital support for them, such as critical reproductive health care, and a new emergency shelter for survivors of severe gender-based violence and trafficking,” said International Development Secretary Alok Sharma.

This new commitment comes after more than two years since the crisis began, with the UK’s overarching aim to find a solution that means the Rohingya can voluntarily return to Myanmar in safety and dignity.

Original source: DFID
Published on 23 September 2019