Myanmar / Bangladesh: Canada responds to UN appeal with $3 million more in humanitarian assistance

Marie-Claude Bibeau

MARIE-CLAUDE Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on Wednesday announced an additional $3 million in funding to help address the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state and its impact on neighbouring Bangladesh. These new Canadian funds follow the appeal by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for additional aid.

To date in 2017, Canada has provided $12.18 million in humanitarian assistance funding to partners in Myanmar and Bangladesh to meet the needs of crisis-affected people, including the Rohingya.

There has been a substantial rise in the number of refugees, especially women and children, fleeing violence in Rakhine to seek shelter in Bangladesh in the past weeks. The funding will address their key needs, such as shelter, protection, health, water and sanitation and livelihoods, said Bibeau.

Among other things, the money announced on Wednesday will fund:

* hospital care and other health-care services, particularly focusing on sexual and reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence and psychosocial support for survivors as well as obstetric care;
* access to water and sanitation services; and
* the provision of emergency shelter and non-food items for new asylum seekers.

This funding will be provided to trusted humanitarian partners, such as Doctors Without Borders, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration, for work in both formal camps and informal settlements, as well as in hard-to-reach areas.

Canada is also making its emergency stockpile, including shelter and emergency relief supplies, available to its partners.
Bibeau said: “Canada is responding to the UN appeal with additional funds that will focus on addressing the critical shelter and health needs of the more than 500,000 displaced people, the majority being vulnerable women and children.

“We also urge the authorities in Myanmar to take measures to protect all civilians from the ongoing violence. We call for the full, unimpeded resumption of humanitarian assistance activities for UN and humanitarian organizations in Myanmar.”