Qatar urged to help displaced Rohingyas | Noimot Olayiwola/Staff Reporter
Indonesian Red Cross Society chairman Yusuf Kalla has called on Qatari authorities to extend humanitarian assistance to the displaced Rohingya Muslim population in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. “Qatar has been providing humanitarian support for the Myanmar community in Bangladesh,” he pointed out.
Kalla was in Doha yesterday for the ‘Second Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in the Rakhine State’ organised by the Organisation of the Islamic Co-operation (OIC) in collaboration with the Qatar Charity.
About 30 local, regional and international organisations took part in the meeting, the second of its kind after the Kuala Lumpur meeting last August, and discussed a strategic plan for humanitarian intervention in Rakhine State in addition to ways of strengthening co-ordination between organisations interested in the issue of the Rohingya Muslims.
“We are aware that Qatar has, through Qatar Charity, initiated many activities for the over 300,000 Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and that the country is willing to give more support to those in need, especially in Africa and Asia. However, there is a need to focus more humanitarian supports on the Islamic world because there are presently around 80,000 refugees in Rakhine,” he noted.
“Qatar Charity is also providing support in terms of housing of up to 400,000 homes as well as hospital services for those affected by the Ache Tsunami, which killed around 200,000 people,” he said.
On whether Qatar should mediate in ongoing conflicts in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, the official said it will be a welcome idea but stressed it is important for Qatar or any other country willing to mediate, to understand the bane of the issues as well as the cultural differences of the warring groups before intervening.
“It is noteworthy that Qatar’s leading and successful roles in mediating to resolve a number of conflicts, within the Middle East and North Africa in the past, have given the country a proven track record, but it will not be a bad idea if the Qatari government take its time to study the situation within the Asean region critically in order to acquire knowledge of the people involved before attempting to mediate because the situation could be entirely different,” he cautioned.
However, on the role of Indonesia in supporting the refugees and ensuring peace and stability in the region, especially being a country with the world’s largest Muslim population, Kalla said: “Indonesia is providing support for other countries, especially within the OIC, on the issue of the refugees and this is the most important aspect for any humanitarian services to succeed.”
He mentioned that Indonesian Red Cross has worked with the OIC members by providing easy access and leeway to the refugees in Myanmar.
“We have been working with the OIC and the Myanmar government on conducting humanitarian work and many countries are presently asking to join the relief effort through the OIC,” he pointed out.
Kalla was in Doha yesterday for the ‘Second Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in the Rakhine State’ organised by the Organisation of the Islamic Co-operation (OIC) in collaboration with the Qatar Charity.
About 30 local, regional and international organisations took part in the meeting, the second of its kind after the Kuala Lumpur meeting last August, and discussed a strategic plan for humanitarian intervention in Rakhine State in addition to ways of strengthening co-ordination between organisations interested in the issue of the Rohingya Muslims.
“We are aware that Qatar has, through Qatar Charity, initiated many activities for the over 300,000 Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and that the country is willing to give more support to those in need, especially in Africa and Asia. However, there is a need to focus more humanitarian supports on the Islamic world because there are presently around 80,000 refugees in Rakhine,” he noted.
“Qatar Charity is also providing support in terms of housing of up to 400,000 homes as well as hospital services for those affected by the Ache Tsunami, which killed around 200,000 people,” he said.
On whether Qatar should mediate in ongoing conflicts in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, the official said it will be a welcome idea but stressed it is important for Qatar or any other country willing to mediate, to understand the bane of the issues as well as the cultural differences of the warring groups before intervening.
“It is noteworthy that Qatar’s leading and successful roles in mediating to resolve a number of conflicts, within the Middle East and North Africa in the past, have given the country a proven track record, but it will not be a bad idea if the Qatari government take its time to study the situation within the Asean region critically in order to acquire knowledge of the people involved before attempting to mediate because the situation could be entirely different,” he cautioned.
However, on the role of Indonesia in supporting the refugees and ensuring peace and stability in the region, especially being a country with the world’s largest Muslim population, Kalla said: “Indonesia is providing support for other countries, especially within the OIC, on the issue of the refugees and this is the most important aspect for any humanitarian services to succeed.”
He mentioned that Indonesian Red Cross has worked with the OIC members by providing easy access and leeway to the refugees in Myanmar.
“We have been working with the OIC and the Myanmar government on conducting humanitarian work and many countries are presently asking to join the relief effort through the OIC,” he pointed out.
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