Visiting World Bank Vice President for South Asia Region Hartwig Schafer on Tuesday said Rohingyas, living in Cox’s Bazar camps, want an identity and dignity saying he has seen a human tragedy over there.
“What I’ve seen over the day is human tragedy,” Schafer who visited Rohingya camps on Monday and Tuesday said in a message from Kutupalong camp, the largest refugee camp in the world.
He said Bangladesh opened border to the Rohingyas who came here with nothing and fled homes across the border.
“They want dignity. They want an identity. They’re enormously resilient. They’ve started small businesses,” said the WB Vice President in a video message.
Schafer said Rohingyas want to send their children school to get good education and they want to make sure they get good healthcare. “I would hope there’s a brighter future for those people.”
The WB Vice President thanked the people of Bangladesh and the government for sheltering Rohingyas.
He said the World Bank has made available over US$ 480 million to support Bangladesh to help them with the cost of serving these people.
Despite its own challenges, Bangladesh has shown great generosity by sheltering nearly one million Rohingya people, said the WB Vice President in an earlier message.
“The World Bank is working closely with the government to help address the needs of the Rohingya until their safe return to Myanmar and help build the country’s capacity to deal with the crisis.”
It has approved the first two operations—totalling about $75 million in grants—to provide health services and education to the Rohingya, many of whom are children, youths or women.