Lisa Surihani urges extra support for Rohingya children

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 April 2019 – Back from a field visit to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Lisa Surihani urged Malaysians to generously donate and support UNICEF’s RM1,000,000 emergency appeal. The settlement is home to close to one million Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in Myanmar; more than half of those affected are children. On the ground, the needs for humanitarian assistance are increasing day by day.

“Aid works to save lives. I saw for myself how humanitarian workers came together to relieve the pain and suffering of the refugees, especially the children living in the camps” said Lisa Surihani, National Ambassador to Malaysia. “Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar have lost everything - their homes, their job, their families, their citizenship – and  they survived atrocities. We cannot turn a blind eye to their plight – it is not right, that children are forced to endure such harsh conditions today.”

Together with the government of Bangladesh and other UN agencies, UNICEF works around the clock to provide life-saving aid and services to refugees living in the camps. Alongside partners, our team responds to the growing humanitarian needs with interventions in nutrition, health, child protection, education, and access to safe water.

“This year, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, we are reminded that we have a mandate to leave no one behind” said Marianne Clark-Hattingh, UNICEF Representative in Malaysia. “The children living in these camps are at risk of being left behind. Lisa’s mission brings their plight closer to home. For the time being, the future wellbeing and development of these children lies in our hands. UNICEF is looking to raise RM 1,000,000 throughout the month of Ramadhan to support our work in the Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh. Every Ringgit counts, and will help provide these children with hope for a better future.”

For 2019, UNICEF Bangladesh is appealing for RM620million (USD152million) to scale up critical emergency assistance to about 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshi community residents. Malaysians are called to help raise RM1,000,000 during the month of Ramadhan in support of life-saving programs and interventions in the Rohingya Refugee Camp.

The funding will ensure that more children living in the camps survive and thrive – that they receive the nutrition and vaccincations needed to grow up healthy, they have access to clean water, and have the necessary skills to rebuild their lives.

Donate to Rohingya Refugee Appeal at https://www.unicef.my/donations/wesupportrohingya/