UNITED NATIONS : The United Nations has voiced concerns about the 140,000 displaced people in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, a spokesman said.
“The United Nations in Myanmar has warned that the humanitarian situation for some 140,000 displaced people in Rakhine State remains bleak, a year since inter-communal violence flared up,” UN deputy spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.
At this time, food aid is distributed on a monthly basis, with nearly 2,200 metric tonnes provided in May alone and more than 71, 000 people now have access to temporary shelter, del Buey said.
“Humanitarian organizations have been helping displaced with food, health care, water and sanitation, shelter and other life-saving relief supplies.
However, significant gaps remain, including limited funding for camp management and coordination activities.” Buey said.
In addition to this, Ashok Nigama, UN humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar, called for sustainable solutions to restore a lasting peace and harmony between the people of Rakhine State, the spokesman said.
Late last week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed efforts by Myanmar parliamentarians to use dialogue and participation by all parties in the reform process to aid the violence stricken country.
Several waves of clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, the first of which occurred in last June, have left tens of thousands of people, mostly Muslims, displaced, according to UN.