Top UN official warns Rohingya could soon be new Palestinians

DHAKA, Bangladesh – A senior UN official has warned that Rohingya refugees camping in Bangladesh risk becoming the new Palestinians.

UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Olivier De Schutter told the British newspaper The Guardian he feared the Rohingya were caught in a protracted and increasingly neglected crisis.

He said the crisis has fallen under the radar and urged more international attention.

Otherwise, they will be the new Palestinians in 10 years.

After visiting a refugee camp in the Bangladeshi town of Cox’s Bazar, he said conditions were terrible.

He said he had rarely encountered people in such a state of despair.

The UN official said the refugees were isolated from the local community and living in squalid and cramped shelters.

De Shutter said international donors are increasingly distracted by crises in other countries.

The World Food Program recently announced that it would be forced to cut food aid to Rohingya refugees to just $8 per month per person.

“If you combine this with the high food-price inflation in recent months, it means that in comparison to the start of the year, the calorie intake and the quality of nutrition for the refugees will degrade significantly. The rate of under-nutrition and malnutrition for children will grow significantly and stunting will continue,” De Schutter said.

But the worst thing, he said, is that these people will be forced to depend on humanitarian aid.

They are not allowed to work and are completely stuck.

While people spend their days in complete inactivity, gender-based violence is on the rise.

De Schutter told the British newspaper that the Bangladeshi government’s fear that allowing the Rohingya to work would encourage them to stay in the country is unfounded.

On the contrary, if they are allowed to work, they will pay taxes and create employment opportunities for others.

He said that at the moment, no one believes that Myanmar will meet the conditions for the repatriation of refugees. 

“Myanmar should be held accountable for creating the conditions that will allow safe repatriation under the right conditions. For the moment, no one believes that these conditions are met,” said De Schutter.