Humanitarian catastrophe: Myanmar takes over aid efforts in Rakhine state
15 Sept 2017 11:06 PM IST
Yangon: The Myanmar government has taken control of aid operations in the country's crisis-hit Rakhine state, as reports continue of massacres and "ethnic cleansing" by soldiers on the Muslim population there.
Senior officials and Human Rights Watch have told the Guardian they believe the move could become permanent, ending vital food and health programmes run by international agencies. Already there is an aid blockade on UN agencies that workers say is having a severe impact on malnourished children.
The UN has described the humanitarian situation for Rohingya people in northern Rakhine as catastrophic. Nearly 400,000 Rohinyga have fled into makeshift camps in Bangladesh since 25 August, when coordinated assaults on security outposts by Rohingya insurgents prompted a massive military crackdown.
After a meeting with leading aid donors, the government said earlier this month that it would work with the Red Cross movement to "provide humanitarian assistance to all those affected by the terrorist attacks".
On the same day, however, UN aid agencies were barred from northern Rakhine. The Guardian understands that only the government, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Myanmar Red Cross Society are now working in the area.
Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Guardian they fear a deliberate attempt to undermine aid operations.
"We're slowly getting kicked out," said one. "This could fundamentally shift the way we operate here. The amount of time it will take to get back, or even if we are allowed, is all up in the air and in the meantime there could be a humanitarian disaster," they said.
Leaving international agencies out in the cold could not only curb help reaching those in need but also mean a lack of independent witnesses to any atrocities.
"I think if you're going to have a government leading this humanitarian response to a Muslim population they don't even see as citizens – without witnesses on the ground, without UN and [other agencies] being there – there's huge protection risks," said the aid official. Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, said he believed the moves could be part of a government strategy to hinder the flow of information from the ground. It's becoming clear that the Myanmar government may be moving forward.
Next Story
