It has been six months since violence in Myanmar led more than 650,000 Rohingya refugees to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Commenting, Farah Kabir - ActionAid's Country Director in Bangladesh - said:
"As we pass this grim milestone, there are serious questions over the fate of the Rohingya refugees. It’s clear that the well-documented human rights violations that led so many to flee Myanmar are still a threat.
"We’ve been helping women and girls to process the trauma of sexual violence and other abuses – and we’ve listened to their justifiable fears about what will happen if they are forced back over the border.
"Bangladesh, Myanmar and other governments must urgently hear these concerns, and take action to ensure any return is strictly voluntary and safe."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- ActionAid is an international charity working with the poorest women and girls in the world.
- In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, ActionAid is delivering a life-saving humanitarian response that has so far reached over 70,000 refugees.
- Farah Kabir, ActionAid’s Country Director in Bangladesh, and Mike Noyes, ActionAid UK’s Head of Humanitarian, are available for interviews on their first-hand experience of working with Rohingya refugees, the most pressing needs of women and girls, and what governments must do now.
For more information and interviews, contact Alice Gillham at ActionAid: alice.gillham@actionaid.org.