Washington – The U.S. is increasing its humanitarian aid to help Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh with 32 million dollars, the State Department said on Wednesday.
The aid will also be available for internally displaced people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and bring the total U.S. aid for those impacted by the crisis to 95 million dollars this year.
According to the UN, a military crackdown in Rakhine has triggered the exodus of 421,000 Rohingya from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since Aug. 25.
The funds will be used for emergency shelter, food, healthcare, water, hygiene and other needs for more than 400,000 displaced people.
“It reflects the U.S. commitment to help address the unprecedented magnitude of suffering and urgent humanitarian needs of the Rohingya people,’’ the State Department said, lauding Bangladesh’s generosity in taking in refugees and providing aid.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where the crisis is among the pressing issues facing world leaders.
The U.S. called on all parties to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need and on other nations to contribute to aid efforts.(dpa/NAN)
