1. The government of the Republic of Korea will provide humanitarian aid worth US$1.5 million through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for emergency assistance to hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since the violent clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

2. After the large-scale raids on police and army posts occurred in Myanmar’s Rakhine State on August 25, the fighting between Myanmar’s government forces and rebels has intensified. The UN estimates that about 1,000 people have been killed, and as of September 18, about 420,000 people have fled to Bangladesh.

o Most of the refugees who have flooded into Bangladesh are staying at temporary refugee camps or their own makeshift shelters, or sleeping out in the open on nearby roads, as existing refugee camps became overcrowded. It is urgent to provide assistance for their basic life, including food, hygiene, drinking water and sanitation facilities.

3. The assistance from the ROK government is expected to contribute to easing the pain of existing refugees in Bangladesh and the refugees who fled to the country after the outbreak of violence in Rakhine State, as well as improving their living conditions. In particular, the assistance is expected to help improve the humanitarian situation faced by the most vulnerable people, including women and children.

4. The ROK government expressed deep concern over the recent violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and the refugee situation, and hoped that there would be no further violence.

o The ROK government supports the efforts of the international community, including Bangladesh, to offer assistance to refugees, and will continue to actively work together with the government of Myanmar and the international community in efforts to resolve the issue.

5. The government of the ROK, as a responsible middle-power country in the international community, will continue to expand assistance to the vulnerable facing humanitarian crises caused by violent clashes, including conflicts.


* unofficial translation