UN to follow up to ensure funds swiftly released

The international community has this time pledged an additional USD 340 million, in addition to the $116 million raised since the beginning of the Rohingya crisis, to meet the needs of Rohingya people living in Bangladesh.

The United Nations, following the conclusion of the pledging conference in Geneva on Monday, will follow up to ensure that all the pledges are realised and the funds are swiftly released, while it will continue to look for ways to meet the growing needs amongst the refugees and host communities.

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Robert D Watkins while speaking at the pledging conference said, "This will allow aid agencies provide life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, clean, water, sanitation, health, nutrition and protective services, and prevent a further tragedy from occurring within this current crisis."

The international community at the pledging conference for the Rohingya crisis came together and vowed to stand with the Rohingyas in Bangladesh – thereby committing to provide $340 million to the ongoing humanitarian response.

At the beginning of October, the humanitarian community in Bangladesh released a Response Plan that called for $434 million.

Since then, the number of Rohingyas in Bangladesh has continued to rise with tens of thousands of people still making the journey across the border every week.

Prior to the pledging conference, the Response Plan was funded at only 27 per cent.

The commitments delivered at the conference were an opportunity for the international community to collectively mobilise resources to provide life-saving assistance to refugees, and members of the host community, in Cox's Bazar.

Watkins said, "This is now the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world and there's an urgent need for further funding to enable us to scale up humanitarian operations."

He said they are grateful to the government of Bangladesh, which has kept their border open, and to the host communities who have been so generous in supporting the new arrivals.

"We're thankful that the international community has also shown solidarity with the refugees and the willingness to support those who desperately need it," Watkins was quoted as saying in a statement UNB received on Monday.