Plan International Canada applauds federal funding for Rohingya crisis

Funding desperately needed to meet immediate humanitarian needs

TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2017 /CNW/ - Child rights and humanitarian organization Plan International Canada applauds International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau's announcement that an additional $3 million in federal funding will go towards meeting the urgent needs of the Rohingya people fleeing violence in Myanmar.

More than 400,000 Rohingya people, the majority of them children and women, have fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State over the past month, and arrived in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar. Thousands are camping in the open with little or no shelter on muddy hillsides in Cox's Bazar. They have no access to clean water or toilets. The high concentration of displaced people living with almost no basic amenities poses a serious risk on many levels, including increased spread of disease and heightened likelihood of child protection issues like human trafficking, sexual abuse, child labour and child marriage.

"The Rohingya people arriving in Cox's Bazar have experienced tremendous hardships on their journey to Bangladesh and face further obstacles in over-crowded makeshift settlements," said Caroline Riseboro, President and CEO of Plan International Canada. "The children affected by this crisis have had their lives turned upside down, and aid is desperately required to meet their basic needs. We are glad to see Global Affairs Canada recognizing the urgency of this situation, and allocating additional funding."

Plan International has launched a humanitarian response in Bangladesh to support the Rohingya people in Cox's Bazar, with an initial response focused on addressing the desperate need for sanitation and hygiene facilities.

About Plan and the Because I am a Girl initiative
Founded in 1937, Plan International Canada is one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan International strives for a just world that advances children's rights and equality for girls. Because I am a Girl is Plan's global movement to transform power relations so that girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide and thrive.

Visit plancanada.ca and becauseiamagirl.ca for more information.

SOURCE Plan International Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Meghan Francis, Media and Public Relations Specialist, Plan International Canada, 416-920-1654 x376, [e-mail]

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