KUALA LUMPUR: At least RM100,000 is needed to aid Rohingya refugees seeking shelter in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Malaysian non-governmental associations (NGOs) are tirelessly helping the cause through fundraisers.
Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) vice-president Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Shamsudin said ABIM launched a “Voice of Rohingya” humanitarian fund that aimed to collect RM100,000.
“We have collected RM36,000. We have until the end of the week to reach our target.
“The next mission trip is on Sept 15 (Friday), and Indonesia will join us.
“Our main concern is to provide the Rohingya with clean water, sanitation and food.”
Fahmi said after the latest bout of violence broke out in Rakhine two weeks ago, thousands of refugees had arrived in Cox’s Bazaar, overcrowding many camps.
He said the camp were “congested” and many sick and wounded refugees lied on the ground.
“It’s heartbreaking. Many who arrived are frail and exhausted,” he said, adding that many Rohingya shelters were made from branches and leaves.
To contribute to the fund, visit https://www.billplz.com/GPM-Rohingya.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the government was concerned about reports on the continued oppression of the Rohingya.
“There is a massive influx of Rohingya.
“As an immediate measure to provide early protection to them, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) patrol ships have been directed to assist them.
“MMEA vessels patrolling Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak waters will be supplied with food and water to be distributed to the Rohingya before they are taken to the nearest maritime base and handed over to the Home Ministry for further action.
He said the Civil Defence Force had been told to despatch members in MMEA ships to prepare for emergency treatment of the Rohingya.
“NGOs, such as Mercy Malaysia, which has volunteered their medical teams, are welcome to participate in the humanitarian aid mission.
“Following the outcry from the global community, it is hoped the Myanmar government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, will stop the violence against the Rohingya.
“She has a Nobel Peace Prize and she did not receive it for tyranny.”
Reuters reported that Myanmar had on Sunday rebuffed a ceasefire declared by Muslim Rohingya insurgents to enable the delivery of aid to thousands of displaced people in the violence-racked Rakhine, declaring simply that it did not negotiate with terrorists.
Attacks by militants on police posts and an army base on Aug 25 prompted a military counter-offensive that triggered an exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh, adding to the hundreds of thousands already there from previous spasms of conflict.
According to the latest estimate by United Nations workers in Cox’s Bazar, about 294,000 refugees have arrived in just 15 days, putting a huge strain on humanitarian agencies’ operations.