A Joint Statement from – All We Can, Methodist relief and development (Britain) – United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR, USA) – UnitingWorld (Australia) – Irish Methodist World Development & Relief
We are committed to standing together in solidarity as Methodist and affiliated international development and relief agencies bringing urgent emergency assistance to the Rohingya people fleeing violence and unrest in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
Two-year-old Salma, a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar’s Rhakine State, lays on a mattress in a feeding centre in Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh ©Aurélie Marrier d’Unienville/IRIN
Since 25 August 2017, more than 519,000 refugees from Rakhine State have been forced to cross the border seeking safety in Bangladesh, resulting in a massive humanitarian crisis. Those fleeing violence have made their way to Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district and joining hundreds-of-thousands of women, men and children in the region in desperate need. Urgent humanitarian support is needed in Rakhine State, Myanmar, for those who remain, and also in neighbouring Bangladesh. Food insecurity, a lack of access to shelter, safe water and health care. Many of those fleeing violence are children, who are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and disease when living in makeshift settlements.
We believe there is an imperative at this time for individuals, churches and groups around the world to draw together collectively to respond to this crisis. The Government of Bangladesh has kept its borders open to enable people to seek safety and to allow the international community to provide the required humanitarian assistance.
A local aid worker assists a Rohingya woman receiving emergency food support. Photo Credit: ACT/DCA
Through our trusted international humanitarian aid partners and our different emergency relief programmes in the region, we are responding to those most in need both in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
This expression of unity marks our dedication to providing people with ways to engage with the global movement of church communities tackling injustice and poverty and responding to humanitarian disasters with compassion and care. We stand together in our sorrow at the recent suffering and deaths resulting from this crisis and we come together in our concern for the thousands suffering in Myanmar and in neighbouring countries. We also unite in prayer for the leaders of countries affected by the crisis for wisdom in making decisions that will aid the most vulnerable.
We appreciate and thank those who have already given so generously to our appeals for this crisis and continue to ask the Christian community, whom we are privileged to serve, to be fervent in prayer and to give generously and quickly to this humanitarian crisis.
To donate and find out more about the Rohingya Refugee Crisis Appeal in your region of the world go to the relevant website:
In Britain: www.allwecan.org.uk/rohingya
In the USA: www.umcor.org
In Australia: www.unitingworld.org.au/rohingya
In Ireland: www.methodistworlddevelopment.org
