Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
September 22, 2021
AS DELIVERED
Thank you to the Government of Bangladesh and our other co-hosts for convening this important event.
For decades, Rohingya in Burma have faced a campaign of cruelty. Torture, rape, arson, killings. Massacres. Since the coup, the heartbreaking humanitarian situation has grown even more dire. Nearly 900,000 Rohingya have been forced to take refuge in Bangladesh. We cannot ignore their plight.
So today, I am pleased to announce the United States will contribute nearly $180 million in additional assistance for the humanitarian crisis facing Rohingya in and outside Burma, and for Rohingya refugees and affected host communities in Bangladesh. Of this funding, nearly $158 million is for programs inside Bangladesh.
This assistance will save lives. It will provide protection, shelter, food, safe drinking water, health care, and psychosocial support. It will support disaster preparedness and COVID-19 relief for Rohingya. And it will bolster access to education and skills training for Rohingya in Bangladesh – key for those who wish to pursue repatriation once conditions are suitable.
Bangladesh and its people have taken on an enormous responsibility in hosting refugees. We stand with the Government of Bangladesh and with Rohingya in working toward the ultimate goal of the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return and reintegration of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced person.
While we relentlessly pressure Burma’s military regime to stop its violence and return to the path to democracy, the international community must examine other durable solutions for Rohingya. In the meantime, we all must give more. If you’ve already donated, we urge you to increase your commitment. And if you have not made a contribution, now is the time to join us.
Thank you.
###
