Mr. ITO Naoki, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, had an official visit to the camp in Cox’s Bazar, where over 920,000 Rohingya Refugeesreside.
Ambassador ITO visited an E-voucher outlet and Upcycling Center of WFP, a Learning Center of UNICEF, a skill development site of UNHCR, where Rohingya refugees produce hygiene kits under the collaboration of Japanese company Fast Retailing and UNHCR, and the office of RRRC. He also observed the protection and camp management activities of IOM as well as the sustainable land management and environmental rehabilitation project of UNHCR.
Since the large influx in August 2017, Japan has contributed over 175 million USD to various interventions in Cox’s Bazar as well as in Bhasan Char through international organizations and NGOs. This assistance included food assistance, healthcare, WASH, shelter, protection, and gender.
Witnessing the ongoing activities in the field, Ambassador ITO said, “Every time I visit Rohingya camps, I am impressed by the tireless work of the UN agencies and NGOs for assisting the refugees. This will be my last visit to the camp before leaving this country, but I will continue to extend my thoughts and empathy to the Government of Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees, and host communities.I sincerely hope that safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation to Myanmar will be realized soon. I renewed my recognition that education, skills development, and livelihood opportunities are the critical areas of responses for the resilience of refugees”.
As the crisis is turning into its sixth year, it is essential to keep the attention of the global community, while multiple emergencies have been taking place in different parts of the world. Japan will continue to work toward the resolution of the Rohingya issue.