Dubai: Dubai Cares has announced it will be committing more than Dh1.8 million ($500,000) through the Education Cannot Wait programme as an emergency response to the influx in Bangladesh of Muslim Rohingya refugees displaced by violence in Myanmar.
The announcement followed its renewed commitment to the Education in Emergencies programme at a recent event held on the sidelines of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Dubai Cares, part of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, also attended the Education Cannot Wait’s high-level Steering Group Meeting. During the meeting, Dubai Cares announced that it will be committing Dh1,836,750 to ensure a “coordinated and sustained emergency response” benefiting Muslim Rohingya refugees.
The UN says the conflict in Myanmar has forced over 410,000 Muslim Rohingya to flee their homes to Bangladesh, forming a new humanitarian crisis, with children at its heart. Moreover, the vast majority of refugees are women, including mothers with newborns and families with children, according to Unicef.
Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares, said: “Many of the new Muslim Rohingya refugees arriving in Bangladesh are staying in makeshift settlements or among local host communities. This is putting severe pressure on already scarce resources, which is resulting in shortages in food, water and other necessities. The population is very vulnerable, consisting mainly of women and children.
“The sooner education can be provided, the greater the gains in helping children adjust to their current situation. Through Education Cannot Wait, Dubai Cares is extending a helping hand by providing Muslim Rohingya refugee children newly arrived in Bangladesh a sense of normality, stability, and hope for the future.”
At the main New York event, which was co-hosted by Dubai Cares and the Education Cannot Wait fund, Al Gurg highlighted the opportunities for strategic engagement. Participants also learnt about the fund’s progress from its leading political champion Gordon Brown, former UK prime minister.
Al Gurg said: “Education Cannot Wait continues to mobilise the public and political commitments needed to get every crisis-affected child into school and learning by 2030. The investments already made and the ongoing advocacy and operations are the basis of an extraordinary global effort to transform the system. Yet, there is still an overwhelming need for collective action towards providing education opportunities for every child affected by emergencies and protracted crises. Such a gathering is instrumental in bringing together the best minds from around the world to exchange opinions and ideas, share best practices, highlight challenges and formulate solutions. Businesspeople, leaders, employers, innovators, humanitarians and philanthropists have a critical role to play in tackling this issue and their influence is crucial to the success of the fund.”
Dubai Cares has so far launched eight Education in Emergencies programmes as part of its strategy.
