Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday highlighted the humanitarian plight of Rohingya Muslims living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
“Unfortunately, a humanitarian tragedy is unfolding here. Türkiye‘s helping hand has reached out here just as it has everywhere else, but of course, I wish these tragedies did not exist, and I wish we were not in a position where we had to provide aid,” Fidan told Anadolu during a visit to the camp as part of his two-day official trip to Bangladesh.
Highlighting the importance of providing assistance not only to neighboring regions but also to distant areas facing hardship, Fidan said: “There is a great sensitivity demonstrated by our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan), particularly regarding the delivery of aid to the oppressed and those in need.”
Noting that more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims are living in the camps, Fidan said: “Since the very first day of the crisis, Turkish aid organizations and relevant institutions have been providing healthcare and other services. These include both public and civil society organizations.”
Fidan, who also visited the field hospital established by Türkiye in the region, said: “We are here with our doctors and staff. Our colleagues are working tirelessly under these conditions thousands of kilometers away. No amount of thanks would be enough.”
-Emphasis on transitioning to sustainable solution
Fidan underscored the necessity of transitioning from this “temporary solution to a more sustainable one” while thanking the Bangladeshi government for their hospitality.
“They are showing great hospitality here as well. When our brothers and sisters in Syria fled the war, we opened our arms to millions of them. Our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters are doing the same,” he said.
Referring to local conditions, Fidan said that although circumstances were not always favorable, “the morale of both our healthcare workers and other staff here is very high. They are working tirelessly. May God be pleased with them. May their efforts not go to waste.”
More than 1 million Rohingya Muslims live as refugees in sprawling and overcrowded camps in the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
