This morning Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop announced the appeal, which will aid the Australian Humanitarian Partnership – a relationship between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australian NGOs.
The ABC joint appeal aims to raise awareness and funds to assist people affected by violence in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State.
Save the Children Director of Policy and International Programs Mat Tinkler recently travelled to the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh and said funding for the crisis had so far been dwarfed by the scale of the emergency.
“We welcome the ABC appeal for Rohingya. It is a horrifying man-made crisis, the worst in our region for decades. Thousands of children have arrived unaccompanied, separated from their families or orphaned by the conflict,” Mr Tinkler said.
“The global community must dig deep during this time of crisis to help support these displaced people.”
More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims (including more than 350,000 children) have crossed the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh since 25 August. There are now about 823,805 Rohingya refugees living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh.
ABC audiences will be encouraged to visit the ABC appeals page through media reports on the humanitarian situation.
The Australian Government has partnered with eight humanitarian agencies that already have a presence on the ground in Bangladesh – Australian Red Cross, Australia for UNHCR, CARE Australia, Caritas Australia, Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia, Save the Children Australia and World Vision Australia.
Since September 11, Save the Children’s response in Bangladesh has reached 248,283 beneficiaries including 139,785 children.
To date the Australian Government has provided $30 million funding to humanitarian agencies working on the crisis. Of this $3 million has been awarded to Save the Children.
Call Alex Sampson on 0429 943 027 for interviews.