Cease conflict, allow aid workers: Oxfam

Charity organisation Oxfam has called upon Myanmar government to cease conflict in the Rakhine state and allow aid workers to stand by the affected community.

“Oxfam calls on all authorities to guarantee humanitarian access to all civilians and ensure their protection from ongoing conflict,” Lan Mercado, its Asia regional director said.

In a statement issued today, Oxfam said it is providing containers for drinking water, sanitation facilities, and other essentials to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

In Myanmar, Oxfam is ready to provide life-saving relief to people, the organisation said, calling for prioritising the safety of women and children in the violence-inflicted region.

Red Cross in action

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar and Bangladesh is scaling up its efforts to minimise the suffering of the Rohingya people fleeing in the face of violence.

“All communities affected by the violence are suffering, and the ICRC is deeply concerned about the condition of families hit by this crisis,” said Boris Michel, the regional director of ICRC’s Asia and Pacific zone.

The ICRC this week began delivering food and water to around 8,000 families on both sides of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border who fled their homes to escape violence.

An ICRC-supported mobile health team of Bangladeshi doctors and paramedics has been dispatched to the region in Bangladesh. The ICRC is working closely with the Myanmar Red Cross (MRCS), the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), and community volunteers to respond to this emergency.