Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday admitted that global attention to Rohingya's needs is rapidly diminishing. This is evident in the increasing funding gaps in the humanitarian response plan.
Sheikh Hasina was speaking in New York at the 78th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Side Event titled “Have they forgotten us?”, reports UNB.
The Bangladesh PM said that the Rohingya issue has now reached a point of stagnation. Not a single displaced Rohingya has been able to return to their homes in Myanmar in the last six years.
Mrs. Hasina said that the Rohingya's prolonged presence in Bangladesh is not only pushing them further into hopelessness; it is also making the situation in Bangladesh precarious. The host community has become a victim of their own generosity,” she said.
Aside from that, she mentioned that the prolonged presence of the Rohingyas has entailed grave social, economic, and security repercussions for Bangladesh and neighbouring countries.
She mentioned that all have a responsibility to redress their victimisation in a comprehensive manner. Humanitarian assistance is important for their sustenance, but it is not enough.
“We need to ensure that they are able to return to their homes in Myanmar and pursue a life of dignity and certainty,” she stated.
And for that, she said, “we need to address the problem at its root, which lies in Myanmar.” “They need protection and opportunities in their own country so that they do not have to flee from their homes.”
Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh hosting over a million displaced Rohingya for a long period of time has never been an option.
“Bangladesh is a small country with a high density of population. As one of the worst victims of global warming and sea level rise, we are already overburdened by the increasing number of climate-induced internally displaced persons,” she said.