Yanghee Lee, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, visits a Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar on Saturday. -AFP
Amid a World Bank (WB) report that the Rohingya crisis was increasing, the United Nations stressed that there should be any "forced" repatriation to their homeland in neighbouring Myanmar.
"The scale of the influx is enormous. As far as the eyes can see, lines after lines of shelters-made of plastic sheets and bamboos-stretched over the deforested hills. It is creating huge pressure on the infrastructure and services as well as on the water resources and the environment.
When the monsoon approaches, the challenges with disease and natural disasters will increase," WB South Asia Region Vice President Annette Dixon said after visiting the camps sheltering the citizens of Myanmar who fled persecution.
She said the World Bank was ready to work with the government to help the host community and the displaced Rohingya people in Cox's Bazar. "The people and the government of Bangladesh have shown great generosity to the Rohingya people in their hour of need.
As soon as the crisis broke, with the government, the local and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and development partners extended support. This helped save thousands of lives," Dixon said.
"But the needs are much greater. If the government seeks assistance, we can mobilize more resources to address the needs of both the host communities and the Rohingya people in a way that will continue to benefit the local people after the Rohingya leave."
In the recent years, the World Bank support to Bangladesh has expanded. Currently, the World Bank's support stands at nearly $10 billion, which represents a more than doubling in the last five years.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has reiterated its call for voluntary repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh saying the minority group from Myanmar must feel that the situation is safe enough for them.
"It is up for people to choose to go home. No one should choose for them. Any repatriation of Rohingyas back to Myanmar needs to be voluntary," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General in a regular briefing at the UN headquarters. "I think they need to feel that the situation is safe enough."
There have been demonstrations on Friday in camps by Rohingyas protesting against plans to repatriate them back into Myanmar.
Repatriation is expected to start next Tuesday, Myanmar media report claimed, Foreign Ministry officials in Dhaka said verification and return of Rohingyas would be based on considering the family as a unit and Bangladesh and Myanmar also finalised the 'form' for verification.
In another development, visiting UN Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, on Saturday visited Damdamia Rohingya camp in Teknaf early morning and talked to 20 Rohingyas - 10 men and 10 women - at the reception centre of Teknaf Nature Park.
"The government (of Myanmar) has accused me of [being] bias, while at the same time denying that human rights violations have taken place in Myanmar," Lee said. "I would ask the authorities to rethink their position, and to put the victims first."
Lee, who leaves Bangladesh on Sunday after a three-day visit, will present a report to the Human Rights Council in March 2018 on the Rohingya crisis.
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