Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
An Australian delegation visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday to shed light on the Rohingya crisis, marking World Refugee Week.
The delegation visited the camps, raising fears concerning dwindling international funds, lack of formal education, rising violence in camps and lack of the most basic needs inside camps, Arakan News Agency reporter stated.
They also visited education centers and hospitals, while Human rights activist and former Socceroo Craig Foster played football with Rohingya children in camps highlighting the universal right to education, safety, and joy. Noor Azizah, Rohingya activist and Co. Executive Director of Rohingya Maiyafuìnor Collaborative Network also took part in the visit.
In an interview with France 24, Noor Aziza expressed her extreme happiness at being among the Rohingya people and being able to hear the Rohingya language. However, she said her heart was broken by the poor living conditions of the Rohingya, given the lack of funding, the prevalence of gender-based violence, and the fact that the Rohingya are forced to undertake dangerous sea journeys to flee to other countries.
For his part, Foster said that the visit was an attempt to give voice to the Rohingya, pointing to the declining global support and widespread frustration within the Rohingya in camps, as Rohingya continue to flock to Bangladesh to escape the horrific conditions in Myanmar.
The Australian activist emphasized that the world must not forget refugees, especially Rohingya refugees, and that funding must continue to be raised for them so that nearly half a million children are not exposed to further devastating effects of funding cuts. He emphasized the importance of supporting children and enabling them to practice sports, which will have a profound positive impact on them.
The activists called on the world not to forget the Rohingya crisis, which they emphasized requires a sustained global collective response. They noted that Rohingya children deserve dignity, justice, and the simple joy of play.
The visit was organized by the Refugee Council of Australia in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A number of Rohingya and Australian activists attended the visit, calling for urgent action and long-term solutions to the Rohingya refugee crisis.
More than a million Rohingya refugees live in Bangladesh in the Cox’s Bazar area, which the United Nations classifies as the largest refugee camp in the world. Rohingya fled Myanmar after being subjected to a genocidal campaign launched against them by the army in 2017. Their displacement increased after renewed fighting between the Myanmar army and the separatist Arakan Army in November 2023.
