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Canada will consider providing vaccines for Rohingyas, host communities
9-07-2021
Canada has assured Bangladesh that it will consider the request to provide vaccines for Rohingya refugees and the host communities.
The assurance came during a virtual meeting between Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Karina Gould, Canadian minister for international development, on August 10.
Momen urged the Canadian minister, who is a co-chair in the COVAX Humanitarian Buffer, to consider providing vaccines to Bangladesh through COVAX and also bilaterally, including for the Rohingyas and host communities.
Karina, during the meeting, stated that the co-chairmanship of both countries in the preparatory process of the LDC-5 Conference is a good opportunity to work together.
She recalled that Canada has so far contributed 545 million dollars and 30 million surplus doses to COVAX. Additionally, she assured that Canada would give due consideration to Bangladesh's request to provide vaccines for displaced Rohingyas and others.
Karina also recalled that Canada has already provided medicine and oxygen concentrator supports to Bangladesh through UNICEF and some NGOs; and stated that such assistance, including vaccine support, may come in future.
The Canadian minister also appreciated Bangladesh's decision to not build any more coal-based power plants, citing climate change risks as existential threat for the globe.
She said Canada remains committed to work with Bangladesh, including on Rohingya, climate change and LDC issues. She also expressed optimism that she would be able to visit Bangladesh in person in near future.
The two ministers discussed a wide range of issues encompassing Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh's graduation from LDC status and cooperation in addressing climate change.
Expressing Bangladesh's appreciation to the important message of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the independence, Momen observed that the bilateral ties between two countries continue to remain very strong.
Momen requested the Canadian government to extend preferential trade access for graduating LDCs, like Bangladesh, till 2030 in order to help addressing post-pandemic scenario.
He thanked Canada for its consistent political and humanitarian support for the displaced and persecuted Rohingyas, including for the genocide case ongoing in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Underscoring that the repatriation of displaced Rohingyas remains as the priority for Bangladesh and also for the Rohingyas themselves, he urged Canada to take a leadership role in this regard.
In response of the Canadian minister's call for providing education for Rohingya children in Bangladesh, Momen stated that Bangladesh also wants to provide education for them under the Myanmar curriculum.
He reiterated Bangladesh's proposal that the UNHCR can recruit teachers from Myanmar for this. He also underscored that if education, health and pathway to citizenship for remaining Rohingyas in Rakhine state can be ensured by the UN by investing more resources there, this would encourage displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh to return to their homeland.
He also underscored, depicting the natural hazards that Kutupalong camps have been facing, that the facilities in Bhasan Char are far better; and the UN and international community need to come forward to support the humanitarian operations in Bhasan Char as soon as possible.
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