Japanese actress Sahel Rose visits Rohingya camps

Japanese actress Sahel Rose, who herself lost her parents during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, yesterday visited the Rohingyas, most persecuted ethnic community in the world, in Cox's Bazar.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori, who was with her during the official visit, hoped that Rose will communicate what she saw in the camps to the people in Japan.

"This is my fifth visit to the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar, and I appreciate ISCG, WFP, UNHCR and UNICEF who arranged this visit. It was great that Ms Sahel Rose also visited the camps and I hope she will communicate what she saw in the camps to people in Japan." Ambassador Iwama said in a statement.

Sahel Rose, who was born in Iran, survived an air raid on her house in Iran during the Iraq-Iran war. She was the sole survivor of the attack where she lost her parents and siblings.

She survived under rubble for four days until being discovered by a volunteer nurse.

While visiting the Rohingya camps, she interacted with the refugees, who fled a genocide in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

There are around a million Rohingya, and Japan has been a major supporter to the humanitarian needs of the refugees.

Since the large influx in August 2017, Japan has contributed over 220 million USD to various projects in Cox's Bazar as well as in Bhasan Char through international organisations and NGOs. These assistances included food assistance, healthcare, WASH, shelter, protection, and gender mainstreaming.

"More than six years have already passed from the crisis [Rohingya influx]. As multiple crises are ravaging different parts of the world, it is important to draw the attention of the global community on the Rohingya issue," he said in a statement.

Japan will continue to work toward the resolution of the Rohingya issue, he added.