Since the tragic onset of their excruciating suffering in 2017, the UAE has been performing a significantly influential role in supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, as part of its tireless efforts to promote international peace and security and improve the lives of people around the world.

The UAE’s experience in standing by the Rohingya refugees reflects the quintessential Emirati values of tolerance, compassion and respect for all cultures, religions and races.

The latest manifestation of the UAE’s support for this severe humanitarian crisis is a campaign titled “UAE for Rohingya Women and Children, launched on Thursday under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The campaign marks a fresh phase in addressing the crisis with a particular focus on its dire consequences on health and education, providing food, water and sanitary services to more than 1.2 million refugees, the vast majority of whom are children, women and old people.

Since the start of the crisis in Myanmar and the collective displacement of the Rohingyas to Bangladesh, the UAE has been providing various forms of support for the refugees, calling for putting an end to the atrocities and ethnic cleansing perpetrated against the Muslim refugees in the Southeast Asian nation.

During its participation in the “Pledging Conference on the Rohingya Refugee Crisis” in Geneva on 23rd October, 2017, the UAE pledged to donate $7 million.

Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE operated an airlift to transport food and rescue aid to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Nine aircraft transported over 550 tonnes of supplies worth Dhs8.5 million ($2.31 million), in cooperation with the UNHCR.

UAE is also managing health services for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, through the UAE-Bangladesh Volunteer Field Hospital in Cox’s Bazar. The hospital provides the best possible diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive services for children and elderly refugees, under the supervision of Emirati and Bangladeshi doctors, as part of a joint initiative by the Zayed Giving Initiative, Dar Al Ber Society, Sharjah Charity House and the Saudi-German Hospitals Group, under the supervision of the Emirates Community and Specialised Volunteering Programme and in cooperation with the Hope, Motherhood and Childhood Foundation of Bangladesh and other relevant authorities.

At the start of 2018, a Malaysian-Saudi-Emirati field hospital was also opened in Cox’s Bazar. The facility is equipped with advanced equipment donated by the UAE, which has enabled it to provide quality medical services.

On 8th May, the UAE launched an initiative, in cooperation with the UNHCR, to organise a food programme to meet the needs of 132,700 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh while prioritising 78,000 refugee women and children. The UNHCR also launched food programmes in 10 other camps in Kautobalong, Vishwakkakul and Vinayabara. In May last year, the UAE launched a project, supervised by the ERC and several Emirati donors, to dig 100 wells to provide clean water in the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.

In pursuance of the directives of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent, the ERC launched on March 24th a number of service projects in the Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh to improve their living environment. The projects included the provision of safe water sources to the camp population through the drilling of hundreds of wells, the establishment of large reservoirs to ensure the continuity of water supplies and restoration of health facilities and toilets.

In March, Sheikha Fatima Global Humanitarian Campaign launched Zayed Al Khair Camp to treat thousands of women and children from Rohingya refugees under the supervision of a UAE-Bangladesh volunteer medical team.

Recently, The Big Heart Foundation, TBHF, has launched a Zakat donation campaign, “Create a Sustainable Impact with Your Zakat”, which will be utilised to help millions of Syrian children, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Palestinians in Gaza through projects targetting the livelihood and education sectors.

WAM