US to give $32mn in aid to Rohingya

New York, Sep 21 (IANS) The US will provide a humanitarian aid package worth $32 million to the Rohingya Muslim minority who have fled violence in Myanmar and crossed into neighbouring Bangladesh, the State Department announced.

The funding "reflects the US commitment to help address the unprecedented magnitude of suffering and urgent humanitarian needs of the Rohingya people," said the State Department's Acting Assistant Secretary Simon Henshaw on Wednesday at the ongoing UN General Assembly here.

He added that the US hoped its contribution would encourage other countries to provide more funding as well, reports CNN.

The aid package comes a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Myanmar de facto leader of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi and "welcomed the Myanmar government's commitment to end the violence in Rakhine state and to allow those displaced by the violence to return home," according to the State Department.

Tillerson "urged the Myanmar government and military to facilitate humanitarian aid for displaced people in the affected areas, and to address deeply troubling allegations of human rights abuses and violations".

The State Department also said the aid "will help provide emergency shelter, food security, nutritional assistance, health assistance, psychosocial support, water, sanitation and hygiene, livelihoods, social inclusion, non-food items, disaster and crisis risk reduction, restoring family links, and protection to the over 400,000 displaced persons".

Henshaw said Wednesday's announcement brought the total US aid to Myanmar refugees, including Rohingya, to nearly $95 million in fiscal year 2017.

Some 415,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the ongoing violence broke out on August 25 when Rohingya rebels attacked police checkposts in Rakhine resulting in the deaths os 12 security personnel, CNN reported.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence called on the world body "to take strong and swift action to bring this crisis" of violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar to an end.

"The United States renews our call on Burma's security forces to end their violence immediately and support diplomatic efforts for a long-term solution.

"President (Donald) Trump and I also call on this security council and the United Nations to take strong and swift action to bring this crisis to an end."

Pence also spoke about how the violence in Myanmar is a perfect example of the kind of problem the UN should help solve.