Sharjah: Shaikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has strongly called upon the global community to unite in stopping the undignified treatment the Rohingya people are being subjected to.
Urging the world to break the unjust silence, Shaikha Jawaher, who is the chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) said Rohingya refugees, especially women and children, are facing a catastrophic humanitarian plight after they have been forcibly displaced from their homes.
“[This] tragedy has resulted in separating family members and keeping them away from their homes that they worked hard for long years to build them. The violation of the rights of many children, who have been deprived of living with their families and enjoying life with their friends, made children feel insecure and deprived of being brought up in a healthy and proper environment as their peers around the world,” she said.
Her comments came after a UAE official delegation including representatives from the Sharjah-based global humanitarian charity, TBHF, visited the Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia, Bangladesh. The visit was organised by TBHF in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Nearly 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar since August 25. Among the refugees are heavily pregnant women, elderly people and children. They are exhausted, hungry and distressed, with many in need of urgent medical care. This is now known as the fastest-growing refugee emergency in the world.
As the influx of refugees is increasing daily, needs are escalating, leaving most operations in Bangladesh underfunded. A delegation of the Foundation visited the camps for Rohingyas in a bid to assess the refugees’ growing need for lifesaving aid like shelter, food, water and health care.
The visit, in line with the vision and directives of Shaikha Jawaher, saw a delegation comprising of a host of senior officials and CEOs of local companies meet with several UNHCR officials to assess the humanitarian needs of the people in the refugee camps, and better understand from the UNHCR about those relief operations that require urgent funding and assistance.
They also met numerous refugee families trying to survive the deplorable conditions in the overcrowded camps facing an extreme shortage of food, shelter and basic health care.
“The visit to Rohingya refugee camps by heads of government organisations and private corporations reinforces the UAE’s spirit of solidarity and our readiness to extend a helping hand to members of the global human community in need,” said Shaikha Jawaher. “Our human ambassadors of hope were there to encourage those who have lost hope, and on the basis of information collected during this visit, we will try our best to help our Rohingya sisters and brothers cope with the burdens of displacement.”
Shaikha Jawaher reminisced about the visit she made to the Rohingya refugee camps in Malaysia in May 2016 with Dr Shaikh Sultan, stating how being there brought her closer to the despair of those innocent people and their families, and strengthened her resolve to do everything in her might to make their lives better.
Upon her visit to Bangladesh, Mariam Al Hammadi, TBHF Director said: “The Rohingya is one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. The ordeal of Rohingya refugees is a real humanitarian tragedy, which grows worse every day. The latest influx has increased their number drastically to reach over a million refugees. A vast majority of them are unable to meet their basic needs, increasing pressure on Bangladesh, which continues to receive boats full of Rohingya people on a daily basis.”
“Every human being who has been subjected to violence, persecution, war or disaster at home has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge,” she said. “The Big Heart Foundation was founded to lead and assist humanitarian operations around the world. We work tirelessly to reach out to people in need, no matter where in the world they are, in the hope that we are able to do enough to alleviate their sufferings and give them hope for a better and secure future.”
Upon their visit, the UAE delegation has been able to get a closer look into the ground realities of the situation, and have defined food, clothes, health and education as sectors that require immediate attention. TBHF plans to shape a relief strategy in collaboration with other members of the Bangladesh delegation, and deliver it to the Rohingya community at the earliest.
