“The world must do more for the Rohingya”

Secretary General Alistair Dutton visiting the refugee camps where Caritas Bangladesh has been active since 2017 alongside the Dhaka government. Global food aid has been reduced to $10 per person per month, with serious consequences. “These families are among the most vulnerable in the world, with teenagers who have already lived half their lives here. The international community cannot leave Bangladesh alone.”

Dhaka () – Gratitude to the government of Dhaka and the local Church for what they have been doing for years. But also a strong denunciation of how the international community is leaving them alone in the face of the drama of the Rohingya refugees. This is the message that the Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, Alistair Dutton, has sent from Bangladesh, where he has recently visited the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. A trip in which he has echoed the recent and renewed calls of Pope Francis, who has so often highlighted the suffering of the Rohingya, having personally met with a group of them during his visit to Bangladesh in 2017.

“I am deeply moved by the Bangladesh government’s hospitality and enduring support for Rohingya refugees over the past seven years,” Dutton said. “While the world’s attention has shifted, the Rohingya continue to fight in these forgotten fields. But the Bangladesh government cannot be expected to support them alone. Other countries must step in with more funds for this crisis.” We must not forget the Rohingya,” Dutton continued, “Rohingya families are among the most vulnerable in the world, living on land on the fringes of communities and having no right to work. The adolescents have already spent half their lives in these settlements. “We must do more to ensure their safety now and their opportunities for the future.”

Since the start of the refugee crisis in 2017, funding has decreased dramatically. Contributions from global institutions that support their food have fallen to $10 per person per month, while funding for other sectors has fallen even more significantly, while prices rise with 11% inflation. Living conditions are deteriorating, as settlements’ accommodation, water and sanitation facilities require repairs and maintenance. In the case of children, education and protection have suffered serious setbacks.

In 2024, Bangladeshi authorities launched a Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis with the goal of raising $852.4 million to help 1.35 million Rohingya and host communities. The intervention aims to provide safe housing, education, water and sanitation, healthcare, mental health services and livelihood projects. However, despite these efforts, last year’s funding only covered 65% of the response plan.

Between 2017 and 2023, Caritas spent $45 million on emergency interventions for Rohingya and host community members in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasanchar. In recent years, Caritas has helped almost one hundred thousand people with activities such as housing support, protection, disaster risk reduction activities, education and water and sanitation.

“More than 200,000 children have already been born in the camps: they have never seen their country of origin and have no nationality, they are stateless,” says Dutton, “This requires renewed international attention and fair burden-sharing by countries. from the region and beyond, along with pressure on Myanmar for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya and the restoration of their rights.

“I leave Bangladesh deeply inspired by the humanity, compassion and solidarity shown by the Government, Caritas Bangladesh and local communities,” concluded the Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis. “Rohingya families need our attention, our resources, our love and our prayers more than ever. Let us collectively respond to this call to humanity.”

For his part, Caritas Bangladesh Executive Director Sebastian Rozario described Dutton’s visit as a testament to the solidarity and unity that unites the global Caritas family. “The plight of the Rohingya people – he explained – remains one of the most urgent humanitarian crises of our time. Despite the unwavering commitment of our teams on the ground, we continue to struggle with a serious funding gap, which hinders our ability to provide the necessary support and services. This presence highlights a forgotten crisis and we hope it will stimulate the international community to renew its commitment and resources to this cause,” he declared.

At the same time, Rozario urged the international community to “not forget the people of Bangladesh”, who also suffer from climate-induced catastrophes (cyclones, floods, flash floods, storms, droughts), injustice, human rights violations, problems related to land rights, lack of livelihood opportunities, inadequate access to education and health services.” Caritas Bangladesh manages a total of 94 projects in 52 districts, focusing on social welfare, food security , education, health, disaster management and development of indigenous peoples In 2022-23, it spent 3,270.89 million taka (25.7 million euros ed.) to help 1.2 million marginalized people. .