UK minister urges global support for Rohingya refugees

LONDON: UK Minister for the United Nations Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon addressed the UN Security Council on Myanmar, calling on the international community to increase support for Rohingya refugees.

The UK Minister for the UN, speaking at the UN Security Council, called on the international community to increase financial support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Lord Ahmad argued that much more needs to be done in Myanmar, where significant changes, such as unfettered and effective access for the UN, are needed to end the current crisis.

He called for the perpetrators of the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya to be brought to justice. UN Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett also addressed the Security Council on the anniversary of the escalation of the Rohingya crisis. She met Lord Ahmad and UK Ambassador to the UN Karen Pierce to talk about how the UK and the UN can galvanise international action to end the crisis and help refugees return to their homes.

Minister for the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “The UK is playing a leading role in bringing an end to this crisis. We need an international political consensus to bring the appalling humanitarian situation to an end.”

“Bangladesh has done more than its fair share to help the refugees. Now it’s the turn of other countries to step up, and provide the money that will help support both refugees and the communities that support them, and for international partners to act together to ensure justice for the victims of the crisis. The Security Council meeting comes at a crucial time, with the monsoon and cyclone season increasing the threat of landslides, contaminated water and disease. The UK is one of the largest donors to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh. The UK has provided £129 million to support the nearly 1 million Rohingya people in Bangladesh, including the 700,000 who have fled Myanmar since August last year.”

While in New York, Lord Ahmad also chaired a UN Security Council debate on mediation with briefings by the UN Secretary-General and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby. The Council discussed their support for mediation efforts and the role of mediation in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts.