Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible.

In her meeting with World Health Organisation-South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the Gono Bhaban here this week, Hasina said Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds.

She added that it was time that Myanmar should speed up the repatriation process and that the Bangladesh government had completed the biometric registration of the refugees.

"The (Bangladesh) government gave identity cards to Rohingyas so that they could be identified easily and the Myanmar government could take them back," Hasina was quoted by Daily Star Bangladesh as saying.

Hasina further said that Bangladesh was in touch with other countries on the Rohingya issue such as India, China, Thailand and Myanmar.

Praising Bangladesh's efforts on the Rohingya issue, Poonam said that the WHO could collaborate with the country to provide immunisation and medical facilities to the refugees.

Stressing on health and sanitation issues in the Rohingya camps, Poonam added that such issues will be a challenge to tackle them and it had to be done soon before the monsoon season comes in.

Expressing concern over the health condition, sanitation and waterborne diseases of the Rohingyas in the upcoming monsoon, Poonam said it would be a challenging job to tackle the issue.

She urged the government to continue its immunisation activities.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar.

They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year.

There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible. In her meeting with World Health Organisation-South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the Gono Bhaban here this week, Hasina said Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. She added that it was time that Myanmar should speed up the repatriation process and that the Bangladesh government had completed the biometric registration of the refugees. "The (Bangladesh) government gave identity cards to Rohingyas so that they could be identified easily and the Myanmar government could take them back," Hasina was quoted by Daily Star Bangladesh as saying. Hasina further said that Bangladesh was in touch with other countries on the Rohingya issue such as India, China, Thailand and Myanmar. Praising Bangladesh's efforts on the Rohingya issue, Poonam said that the WHO could collaborate with the country to provide immunisation and medical facilities to the refugees. Stressing on health and sanitation issues in the Rohingya camps, Poonam added that such issues will be a challenge to tackle them and it had to be done soon before the monsoon season comes in. Expressing concern over the health condition, sanitation and waterborne diseases of the Rohingyas in the upcoming monsoon, Poonam said it would be a challenging job to tackle the issue. She urged the government to continue its immunisation activities.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year. There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

Bangladesh calls for global pressure on Myanmar to repatriate Rohingyas

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the international community to contribute generously to enable appropriate health services to the 1.3 million "highly vulnerable" Rohingyas in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar as the refugees face "grave" risks to their lives and health in view of the coming rainy season.

This is one of the "biggest" humanitarian crisis in recent times, the WHO's South East Asia Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said at a meeting of partners in Dhaka.

"No single agency or the Bangladesh government alone can meet the massive health needs of such a large population group. The Rohingya population are settled in an area that is prone to cyclone, and a terrain that would be flooded as soon as rains begin," the official said.

"The risk of outbreak of life threatening water and vector borne diseases under such conditions is huge," Singh said.

Coordinating the work of over a 100 partners along with the Ministry of Health, Bangladesh, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has facilitated a contingency plan for the rainy season and coordinated a simulation around it.

The plan aims to ensure continuity of health services during rains and floods to minimise the risk of disease and deaths among the affected population, a WHO statement said.

All 207 health facilities in the area have been assessed for vulnerability during rains, following which nearly 25 per cent of them are being relocated.

Another cholera and measles vaccination campaign is being planned in April as a preventive measure for the vulnerable population, the statement said.

Earlier, 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine were administered to the refugees and their host communities, in addition to two vaccination campaigns for measles and three for diphtheria which concluded earlier this week with WHO's support.

Since the start of the Rohingya crisis, the WHO has provided over 120 tons of supplies and logistics support to its partners.

"However, much of the health sector's capacity to respond depends on availability of resources," said Singh who visited Rohingya camps earlier this week.

Besides risks posed by floods and rain, the vulnerable population would need continued services for reproductive, maternal and child health, for communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as psychosocial support, the regional director said.

Earlier in Cox's Bazar, Singh visited the warehouse where the WHO has pre-positioned supplies.

She observed the diphtheria vaccination campaign, inaugurated a fixed immunization site for children, visited a primary health centre and a diphtheria treatment centre run by Samaritan's Purse.

The WHO has appealed for $16.5 million from partners to facilitate its support to the Rohingya response in 2018, the statement said.

This is part of the $113.1 million being sought by all health partners under the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis, it said.&nbsp;

This is one of the 'biggest' humanitarian crisis in recent times, the WHO's South East Asia Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said at a meeting of partners in Dhaka

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the international community to contribute generously to enable appropriate health services to the 1.3 million "highly vulnerable" Rohingyas in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar as the refugees face "grave" risks to their lives and health in view of the coming rainy season. This is one of the "biggest" humanitarian crisis in recent times, the WHO's South East Asia Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said at a meeting of partners in Dhaka. "No single agency or the Bangladesh government alone can meet the massive health needs of such a large population group. The Rohingya population are settled in an area that is prone to cyclone, and a terrain that would be flooded as soon as rains begin," the official said. "The risk of outbreak of life threatening water and vector borne diseases under such conditions is huge," Singh said. Coordinating the work of over a 100 partners along with the Ministry of Health, Bangladesh, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has facilitated a contingency plan for the rainy season and coordinated a simulation around it. The plan aims to ensure continuity of health services during rains and floods to minimise the risk of disease and deaths among the affected population, a WHO statement said. All 207 health facilities in the area have been assessed for vulnerability during rains, following which nearly 25 per cent of them are being relocated. Another cholera and measles vaccination campaign is being planned in April as a preventive measure for the vulnerable population, the statement said. Earlier, 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine were administered to the refugees and their host communities, in addition to two vaccination campaigns for measles and three for diphtheria which concluded earlier this week with WHO's support. Since the start of the Rohingya crisis, the WHO has provided over 120 tons of supplies and logistics support to its partners. "However, much of the health sector's capacity to respond depends on availability of resources," said Singh who visited Rohingya camps earlier this week. Besides risks posed by floods and rain, the vulnerable population would need continued services for reproductive, maternal and child health, for communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as psychosocial support, the regional director said. Earlier in Cox's Bazar, Singh visited the warehouse where the WHO has pre-positioned supplies. She observed the diphtheria vaccination campaign, inaugurated a fixed immunization site for children, visited a primary health centre and a diphtheria treatment centre run by Samaritan's Purse. The WHO has appealed for $16.5 million from partners to facilitate its support to the Rohingya response in 2018, the statement said. This is part of the $113.1 million being sought by all health partners under the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis, it said.

WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees

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Bangladesh calls for global pressure on Myanmar to repatriate Rohingyas

WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees