Christian Aid launches Rohingya Crisis Appeal as humanitarian needs mount on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border
Christian Aid has launched an appeal to help all communities displaced by violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, and Rohingya Muslims who have crossed the country’s border into Bangladesh as refugees.
Figures show 412,000 Rohingya people have fled into Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district since a fresh outbreak of violence erupted in Rakhine State on 25 August. A reported 210 villages have been destroyed in the north of the state, leading to an unknown number of displaced people within Myanmar.
For the last 12 months, Christian Aid in Myanmar has been working in camps and with conflict-affected communities through local partners in Rakhine State and supports all ethnic groups displaced by violence. Permission to work in refugee camps in Bangladesh has been limited until now to a handful of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but authorities in Bangladesh are now willing to accept further NGO support. Christian Aid is working with authorities in both countries to secure permission to work with those in need.
In Bangladesh, Christian Aid is initially sending £40,000 to local partners to provide food, water, hygiene and sanitation, and healthcare provisions to 23,000 people. Through the appeal the charity hopes to raise more funds so the response can be scaled up in both countries.
To donate to the Rohingya Crisis Appeal, visit www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies
