DHAKA: The more than half-a-million Rohingya who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in recent weeks represent “the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said on Friday.
Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, are at great risk of water-borne diseases despite relief efforts by the government, and local and international NGOs.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has declared a level-3 emergency — the top level — to tackle the crisis, seeking more funds to support its initiatives.
UNICEF is appealing for $83.7 million in additional funds to deal with the refugee crisis, while the World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking $10.2 million.
UNICEF said it is speeding up efforts to stop the spread of diarrhea and cholera among refugee children, and will begin a vaccination campaign against cholera on Oct. 10.
“We’ve been living in Kutupalang refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar for the last 27 days,” said Rahima Khatun, 35, who was waiting at a mobile medical clinic with her two-year-old daughter Farida, who has diarrhea.
“We couldn’t feed the girl properly, and now she’s very thin,” she said, adding that Farida vomits every time she eats something.
Dr. Shariful Huq Rumi, a physician with the NGO Gonoshastho Kendro who is treating refugees in Kutupalang, said: “Children are the most vulnerable and worst hit at this time. Nearly 60 percent of the patients affected by diarrhea are below the age of 10.”
The NGO has launched two specialized diarrhea centers in collaboration with the UNHCR to treat Rohingya refugees.
The centers’ capacity is being increased from 20 beds to 80 to cater for the high number of patients. “We offer round-the-clock treatment for diarrhea patients,” said Rumi.
Surgeon Dr. Abdus Salam told Arab News: “We’re trying our best to cope up with the situation, but demand is huge. Around 50 mobile clinics are working to provide medical support, 20 of them set up by the Bangladesh government. We’re all engaging in herculean efforts to address this humanitarian crisis.”
UN: Rohingya represent ‘world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis’
UN: Rohingya represent ‘world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis’
Britain needs to step up defense spending faster, says Starmer
- Britain’s budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, said last year that raising defense spending to 3 percent of the GDP would cost an additional £17.3 billion a year ($24 billion) in 2029-30
LONDON: Britain should step up and accelerate its defense spending, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, following a report that the government was considering bringing forward its target to spend 3 percent of economic output on defense.
Britain, which has warned of the risks posed by Russia, said in February 2025 that it would lift annual defense spending to 2.5 percent of the GDP by 2027 and aim for 3 percent in the next Parliament, which is expected to begin after an election due in 2029.
The BBC reported that the government was now exploring ways to reach the 3 percent target by 2029. It said no decision had been taken but the government recognized current plans would not cover rising defense costs.
HIGHLIGHT
The BBC reported that the government is now exploring ways to reach the 3 percent target by 2029.
Asked whether he would bring the target forward to 2029, Starmer echoed comments he made at the Munich Security Conference, where he said Europe had united to support Ukraine with the supply of weapons and munitions and to strengthen military readiness.
“We need to step up. That means on defense spending, we need to go faster,” Starmer told reporters on Monday. “We’ve obviously made commitments already in relation to that, but it goes beyond just how much you spend.”
Latest NATO estimates show that Britain spent 2.3 percent of the GDP on defense in 2024, above the alliance’s 2 percent guideline. But like other European countries, it has faced US pressure to spend more to protect the continent. Struggling with high debt and spending commitments, the government last year cut its international aid budget to fund the hike in defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP but is yet to publish an investment plan with spending priorities, something that has frustrated the defense industry.
Britain’s budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, said last year that raising defense spending to 3 percent of the GDP would cost an additional £17.3 billion a year ($24 billion) in 2029-30.
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has struggled to stay on track with her plans to repair the public finances. The BBC said the Finance Ministry was believed to be cautious about the new defense spending proposals.
A government spokesperson said Britain was “delivering the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.”
