Turkey seeks to boost cooperation among aid groups in Rohingya refugee camps
Gap in coordination needs to be reduced for more effective services at Rohingya camps in Bangladesh, says Turkish envoy
COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh – Turkey wants to enhance cooperation among aid agencies to ensure “more effective” humanitarian services at Rohingya refugee camps, the Turkish envoy to Bangladesh said on Sunday.
“There is a gap in cooperation among the various organizations and humanitarian aid agencies working on ground in Rohingya refugee camps,” Mustafa Osman Turan said during a meeting with officials of aid groups in Bangladesh’s southern Cox’s Bazar district.
“That gap needs to be reduced for more effective services at the refugee camps. We are willing and keen to work with other agencies on this front.”
Around 1.2 million Rohingya who fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State live in the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar.
Turkey has taken a leading role in humanitarian efforts for the Rohingya, and Turan reiterated that Ankara will continue to do its bit for the refugees.
He also stressed the need for better safety measures at the camps and increased livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya.
The Turkish ambassador met representatives of the International Organization for Migration, UN Women, and the Inter Sector Coordination Group, which oversees operations of 134 aid agencies in Cox’s Bazar.
He was accompanied by Ahmet Faruk Mustakoglu, the deputy director in Bangladesh for the state-run Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
Turan also visited a school for students with disabilities that is partly sponsored by TIKA, where officials conveyed their gratitude for Turkey’s assistance to Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi people.
He concluded his two-day visit to Cox’s Bazar after a meeting with Shah Rezwan Hayat, Bangladesh’s refugee relief and repatriation commissioner.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Turan said Turkey will keep working closely with the Bangladeshi government on the Rohingya issue, and will continue to provide humanitarian aid for the refugees and Bangladeshi communities.
