UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres begins a joint visit to Bangladesh tomorrow with World Bank President Jim Jong Kim as part of an effort to offer more aid to the country, which has been hit by a massive humanitarian crisis. caused by the mass exodus of Rohingya members from Myanmar.
The two-day visit is aimed at,
"To praise the generosity of Bangladesh, which welcomed the largest number of refugees in its territory in 2017" but also "to underline the need for the international community to do more", the UN noted.
According to the Athenian / Macedonian News Agency, the visit also aims to
"To lay the groundwork for a dialogue with the Bangladeshi government on medium-term refugee management planning," Guterres said in a statement.
In Dhaka, Guterres and Kim will meet with top government officials, most notably Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On Monday, Guterres and Kim will visit refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
The delegation also includes Filippo Grady, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Natalia Kanem, head of the United Nations Population Fund. The officials will review the progress made in the "safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees" to their areas of origin, the UN said.
It is noted that between August and December 2017, more than 700.000 minorities in Myanmar fled their areas to escape large-scale military clearing operations in retaliation for attacks on border guards by Rohingya minority rebels. They fled to Bangladesh, where they have since lived in makeshift refugee camps.
Since the end of last year, the UN has demanded an end to military operations and the return of the Rohingya to their territories.
Earlier this week, the EU imposed sanctions on seven senior Myanmar army, police and border guards, accusing them of involvement in atrocities and human rights abuses against Muslim minorities.
