Representatives of a number of donor countries and international organisations gathered at the Palais des Nations in Geneva today with the aim of mobilising funds to support the humanitarian response to the Rohingya refugee crisis. Despite the solidarity and generosity shown by the people of Bangladesh, there are still enormous needs in terms of protection, water, food and sanitation.
To address the growing needs engendered by this crisis, Switzerland has decided to increase its assistance in Bangladesh to CHF 8 million. The Humanitarian Aid Department of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has already donated almost half this sum to operations run by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP) and various NGOs. Last month, it also delivered tents and other emergency supplies to the Cox’s Bazar region, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees are now living. Three experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit are helping the IOM and UNICEF to set up reception centres and install sanitation facilities and systems for distributing drinking water.
Switzerland remains deeply concerned by reports of serious human rights violations and by the security and humanitarian situation in Rakhine State. It condemns the attacks of 25 August on some thirty police stations as well as the systematic destruction of villages throughout northern Rakhine State by government forces in response to these attacks. It calls upon the government of Myanmar to fully respect its obligations under international law, particularly to prevent all human rights violations and abuses, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such violations are brought to justice, thus creating the conditions essential for the refugees' return.
Lastly, Switzerland urges the government of Myanmar to immediately move forward with implementing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by Kofi Annan, to enable the population to return to the path of peace and inclusive development.