Shawdesh desk:

The newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori had his first official visit to the camps in Cox’s Bazar, where over 920,000 forcible displaced Rohingya people reside.

Ambassador Iwama visited a registration center and a skill development site of UNHCR, where Rohingya refugees produce hygiene kits under the collaboration of Japanese company Fast Retailing (UNIQLO) and UNHCR, an E-voucher outlet of WFP, a learning center of UNICEF, a cultural memory center of IOM, a women-led community center of UNFPA, and a health post of Japanand Bangladesh Red Cross.

He also had a meeting with Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), said the Embassy of Japan on Thursday.

Since the large influx in August 2017, Japan has contributed over US $175 million to various interventions in Cox’s Bazar as well as in Bhasan Char through international organisations and NGOs.

These assistances included food assistance, healthcare, WASH, shelter, protection, and gender.

Witnessing the ongoing activities in the field, Ambassador Iwama said, “This is my first visit to the Rohingya camps, and I could see the current situation with my own eyes. I would like to extend my thoughts and empathy to Rohingya refugees and host communities. Also I am impressed by the tireless work of the Government of Bangladesh, the UN agencies, and NGOs for assisting the refugees. I recognised the needs of continuous support for them, we will commit for that”.

As the crisis is turning into its sixth year, it is essential to keep the attention of the global community, while multiple emergencies have been taking place in different parts of the world. Japan will continue to work toward the resolution of the Rohingya issue, added the embassy press release.