Oxfam urges global action on 1.8m climate displaced, Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has faced the dual crises of displaced Rohingyas and climate-related internal displacements in the past decade, Oxfam said, calling for urgent global action.

"Bangladesh confronts the interlinked challenges of 1.2 million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (Rohingya) and 1.8 million internal displacements due to climate-related disasters in the last decade. These issues spotlight global inequalities and demand urgent attention from Oxfam in Bangladesh," the charity organisation said on World Refugee Day 2024.

Meanwhile, donors called for renewed impetus to resolve the Rohingya crisis, saying, "We stand in solidarity with the more than 120 million people, that is 1 in 69, worldwide, who are forcibly displaced due to conflict, violence, and persecution. Among these individuals are over 1 million Rohingyas, who fled from their homes in Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh."

In a statement issued by the US Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday, the donors said, "We will continue to make dedicated efforts to provide essential services for Rohingyas and host communities. We continue to advocate for global attention for this protracted crisis, amid emerging new crises and growing global humanitarian need."

In a separate development, Bangladesh has called upon the international community to invest in improving livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya to support their reintegration into the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

"Sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is the only durable solution to this crisis," said Shanchita Haque, charge de affaires of the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, during an interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights for Rohingya Muslims held during the 56th Session of the Human Rights Council on 18 June.

Oxfam calculated that in Bangladesh, severe water-related disasters, including floods and cyclones, are impacting food security. Nearly 12 million people, which is 17% of the total population, are facing high levels of food insecurity.

"Climate change starkly exposes the inequalities faced by vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. Continuous disasters push communities into perpetual vulnerability, demanding immediate global action," Ashish Damle, Oxfam country director of Bangladesh, emphasised. 

"Rich, polluting nations must take responsibility by reducing emissions and providing adequate climate finance to impacted countries like Bangladesh. Adaptation requires finance; early warning systems and social protection all need funding."

Oxfam urged the global community to prioritise comprehensive strategies that tackle climate injustices and refugee crises simultaneously. Sustainable resolutions are essential to fostering peace and stability, both within Bangladesh and across the world.

Meanwhile, human rights activists asserted that repatriation is the only viable solution to the Rohingya crisis, urging international agencies to facilitate meaningful initiatives.

"Rohingyas have little interest in education because there is no internationally recognised certificate," said Barkat Ullah Maruf of the Coast Foundation while addressing Rohingya education concerns, during an online seminar organised by the Coast Foundation and the Cox's Bazar CSO-NGO Forum on World Refugee Day.

Hafsar Tamizuddin, the Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), who was born as a Rohingya and lives in New Zealand, said, "The Rohingya community is still being tortured in Maungdaw and Buthidaung in Myanmar. The international community is not very aware of it."

At the event chaired by Shireen Haque of Naripokkho and moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of the Coast Foundation, she emphasised, "We want transparency in the discussion about Rohingyas with other countries."

Asif Munir, an immigration expert, said, "The ongoing conflict in Rohingya camps cannot be suppressed with APBN alone. The disarmament process should be carried out with the help of other forces. This may require the intervention of the Ministry of Defence."