Arakan News Agency
The UN humanitarian secretary-general and Emergency Relief Coordinator Orsula Mueller on Tuesday warned that the humanitarian situation of Rohingya Muslims has deteriorated sharply over the past few months.
The United Nations official, speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, estimated the number of internally displaced persons to be around 10,000 during the past three months, while the military conflict of government forces caused the displacement of more than 100,000 people during the same period.
“The principles of the return of Rohingya refugees are very clear: the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to their original homeland in Arakan or wherever they may be in Myanmar in order to resume their lives.”
In August, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan handed over a final report on the fact-finding in the violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State (west) to the Myanmar government.
According to the report of the advisory committee, which consisted of 9 members, including 3 foreigners, “10% of the stateless people live in Myanmar. The Rohingya Muslims are the largest group of stateless people in the world.”
The report called on the Myanmar authorities to abandon “excessive force” in dealing with the Rohingya crisis, to allow voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to their places of origin in Myanmar and for full and unrestricted humanitarian access to the Rohingya population in Arakan.
Muller appealed to the international community to respond quickly to fund the United Nations humanitarian plans in Myanmar.
“We urgently need $ 183 million to meet the humanitarian needs of nearly 832,000 people in the states of Arakan, Kashin and Shan,” she said.
“I saw the tragedy and suffering in the eyes of those I met during my last six-day visit to Myanmar,” she said.
During her visit to Myanmar earlier this month, she met with State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and discussed with her “ways to end the conflict against the Rohingya community and return to their places of origin in Myanmar.”
“The state adviser assured me that she is interested in achieving stability, peace and development in her country. I asked her about the need for humanitarian access for civilians in Arakan. She explained to me that her main goal is to achieve social reconciliation and internal peace.”
