UNHCR chief calls for new approach to Rohingya crisis

High Commissioner of the UN refugee agency Filippo Grandi has called for a new approach to the Rohingya crisis, saying international communities should do more to end the miseries of more than 1 million Rohingyas in the camps in Bangladesh.

He discussed the Rohingya crisis with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at a New York hotel on Thursday (26 September). 

Grandi said they discussed the unresolved issue of Rohingya refugees amid the many challenges posed by the complex transition in Bangladesh.

"I assured Dr Muhammad Yunus of UNHCR's full commitment, also to mobilise international support," he said.

Grandi added that the assumption of Prof Yunus as the new leader of Bangladesh has increased global interest in the Rohingya crisis, and he hopes there will be more funding for humanitarian responses. 

"The 700 million dollars from the World Bank is a good starting point," he said, adding the UN stands ready to support more for the education of the Rohingya children.

Prof Yunus stressed the need for finding a quick solution to the crisis and doing more for the future of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children growing up in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. 

"We have to resolve this before it is too late. We have to find a solution," the chief adviser said. 

Meanwhile, Gilbert Houngbo, director General of the International Labour Organisation, also called on the chief adviser at a hotel later on Thursday. 

Houngbo offered the UN labour agency's support for the Interim Government's move to implement ILO conventions in Bangladesh. 

"We are at your disposal," he said, adding the ILO would respond to his call "if and when" he needed it. 

The chief adviser said labour reforms are a top priority of his government, as it sees the issue as a key to turning Bangladesh into a world class manufacturing hub. 

"We are very serious about this," Professor Yunus said, adding that addressing labour issues would draw more foreign direct investment in Bangladesh.