The United States and the United Kingdom have announced an additional $96 million in aid for Rohingya refugees, chief adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed.
The pledges came during the first high-level conference on “The Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar” held Tuesday at the United Nations headquarters, BSS reports.
In a Facebook post, Alam said the United States pledged $60 million while the United Kingdom committed $36 million.
Addressing the opening session, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus emphasized that the “only peaceful solution” to the crisis lies in the safe repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar. He outlined a seven-point proposal, including ensuring stability in Rakhine State and formulating a realistic roadmap for their safe and dignified return.
“Funding is gradually drying up. The only peaceful path now is to begin their repatriation,” Yunus stressed.
Rohingya Muslims began fleeing to Bangladesh in large numbers after Myanmar’s military launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine State on August 25, 2017. Within months, over 750,000 crossed into Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf camps, joining some 400,000 already living there.
Although Myanmar’s then-government under Aung San Suu Kyi signed a bilateral repatriation agreement with Bangladesh later that year, attempts in 2019 to begin the return process collapsed after refugees refused to go back, citing fear and mistrust.
The COVID-19 pandemic further reduced international attention, and in February 2021 Myanmar’s military seized power, setting back the repatriation process once again. Several subsequent efforts under a China-brokered trilateral framework failed.
Amid ongoing clashes between Myanmar’s military and armed rebel groups, the repatriation issue has largely receded, while fresh inflows continue. The Bangladeshi government reports that over 100,000 new Rohingyas entered the country in the past year alone due to escalating conflict in Rakhine.
