The United States today announced more than $170 million in additional aid to help Rohingya inside and outside Burma, as well as host communities in Bangladesh. With this new funding, our total assistance in response to the Rohingya Refugee Crisis has reached $1.9 billion since August 2017, when more than 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
This other aid includes more than 93 million dollars through the State Department and more than 77 million dollars through USAID. Thanks to $138,000 for specific programs in Bangladesh, it provides life support to more than 940,000 Rohingya refugees, many of whom survived the campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, and 540,000 generous community members in Bangladesh. It will enable the distribution of food, clean drinking water, health care, protection, education, shelter, and emotional support. We encourage other donors to contribute strongly to the aid response and increase aid to those displaced from and victims of violence in Burma.
The United States commends the generosity of the government and people of Bangladesh and other countries that host Rohingya in the region. Knowing that the situation in Burma does not allow for the safe, voluntary, respectful, and sustainable return and rehabilitation of the displaced Rohingya, we are working with the Government of Bangladesh, the Rohingya, and the people inside Burma to find solutions to the problem. We also praise other donors for the life-saving work they continue to do every day.
