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United Nations : The United Nations has appealed to the entire international community to keep the political differences aside and support the ongoing humanitarian efforts to help Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar. "We have made very clear our concern at the ongoing tragedy of the Rohingyas, people who have been forced to leave their homes. The reports were getting, the pictures all of us are seeing are heart-breaking to say the least," Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson to the UN Secretary-General told reporters at his daily noon conference at the UN headquarters in New York. "I think the entire international community should support the ongoing humanitarian efforts, regardless of politics. These are people in need. These are very vulnerable people who have crossed the border, whove, as we said, are hungry and are malnourished and deserve to be helped," he said.
The spokesperson was responding to a question on role of regional players in helping Rohingya refugees. "Are you disappointed that major regional players, including in India, in particular, have actually sort of made their stand about this Rohingya crisis very clear and actually not come out and supported when their support could have been quite crucial?" he was asked. United Nations humanitarian wing, he said, have done emergency planning for about 300,000 Rohingya refugees. "That number has now definitely crossed that line. We are urgently appealing for more funds," he said. "Whether its UNHCR, WFP and other agencies, (we) are trying to get as much aid into the country as quickly as possible. Obviously, from what weve read out, we havent been able to reach all the people that we need to.
"The added challenge is that a lot of people are crossing the border, going to makeshift settlements, or otherwise living outside more organised structures, which could make it easier for us to reach them," he said. Dujarric said the government of Bangladesh has asked the UN to help establish a new camp to house the newly arrived refugees. A flight chartered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) carrying emergency aid ? such as shelter materials, sleeping mats and other supplies ? for Rohingya refugees has landed in Bangladesh.
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