#RohingyaCrisis: India to provide humanitarian aid to refugees in Bangladesh
On September 14, India agreed to provide humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh as the latter struggled to handle the influx of an estimated 3.79 lakh Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. The move came days after Bangladesh briefed India about the unprecedented burden it's facing because of the Rohingya crisis. India had earlier signaled its support for Myanmar over its much-criticized handling of the Rohingya issue.
#RohingyaCrisis: India to provide humanitarian aid to refugees in Bangladesh
On September 14, India agreed to provide humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh as the latter struggled to handle the influx of an estimated 3.79 lakh Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. The move came days after Bangladesh briefed India about the unprecedented burden it's facing because of the Rohingya crisis. India had earlier signaled its support for Myanmar over its much-criticized handling of the Rohingya issue.
What India's relief package comprises of?
The relief material being provided by India comprises of urgently needed supplies such as rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready to eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets etc. The first consignment of aid "will be brought to Chittagong by an Indian Air Force plane on 14th September 2017," the Indian External Affairs Ministry (EAM) said. It said India "stands ready" to assist Bangladesh.
Poverty-stricken Bangladesh reeling under Rohingya crisis
The 3.79 lakh Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar's alleged state-sponsored violence in the Rakhine state are facing starvation and are living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh. This has caused an unbearable additional burden for Bangladesh, which is already dealing with around four lakh Rohingyas who previously fled persecution in Myanmar. Bangladesh, a developing country, itself has a sizeable poverty-stricken population.
Bangladesh urges Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has urged Myanmar to take back the Rohingya refugees. "My personal message is very clear that they should consider this situation with humanity because these people, the children, the women, they are suffering," she said. "These people belong to Myanmar, for 100 years or more they have stayed there. How can they deny they are not their citizens?"
India's stance on Rohingya issues has been less than favorable
India's decision to provide humanitarian assistance comes amid UN criticism over New Delhi's plans to deport an estimated 25,000 Rohingya refugees from its territory. Earlier this month, Indian PM Narendra Modi appeared to support Myanmar's stance on the issue during a visit to the country. India's humanitarian assistance would help alleviate the burden on Bangladesh, which has borne the brunt of the crisis.
