Arakan News Agency
Bangladesh officials asserted that opening a humanitarian corridor supported by the United Nations UN into Arakan state will create conditions for the return of the Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar.
Senior officials said that discussions concerning the UN-supported humanitarian corridor are underway with all relevant stakeholders.
“Our position is that should there be a UN-led humanitarian support to the state of Arakan (Rakhine), Bangladesh would be willing to provide logistic support,” Khalilur Rahman, the interim government’s adviser on Rohingya issues, stated.
“We believe that the UN-supported humanitarian aid would help stabilize Arakan and create conditions for the return of the refugees”, Khalilur said, according to Mizzima.
But Rahman said the corridor is still at “consultation stage” and would require consensus among multiple groups. “We are in touch with the UN and other concerned parties in this regard,” he added.
Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said that Bangladesh is concerned that the persistence of suffering may lead to further inflows of people from Arakan into Bangladesh, which Bangladesh can’t afford.
Alam stated that according to UN Arakan is facing an acute humanitarian situation, adding that the only viable route for delivery of aid to Arakan is through Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh is agreeable in principle to provide logistics support for the transportation of aid through this route”, Alam added to Somoy News.
“However, there hasn’t been a decision on the provision of aid to Arakan. We are in touch with the parties concerned in this regard. We will consult with relevant stakeholders in Bangladesh,” he added.
Bangladesh recently announced its initial approval, subject to specific conditions, of a UN proposal to establish a humanitarian corridor through Bangladesh to deliver aid to Arakan, which is suffering from a major humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations Development Program warned in a report at the end of last year that nearly two million people in Arakan were at risk of severe famine due to poverty, food shortages, and the blockade in the state. It called for the lifting of all restrictions to allow the flow of commercial goods.
More than one million Rohingya refugees currently live in the Cox’s Bazar area of Bangladesh, fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar. The numbers increased significantly following the renewed violence and persecution against them since the Arakan Army launched a military campaign to seize control of Arakan in November 2023. The United Nations describes Cox’s Bazar as the largest refugee camp in the world.
