WASHINGTON, Apr 3: The US has called on the Burmese government to lift travel restrictions on the humanitarian staff so they may resume work in Rakhine State, which has been hit by ethnic and religious violence.
“The United States remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Burma’s Rakhine State. We call on the Burmese government to rescind travel restrictions and to facilitate the appropriate travel authorisations to the UN and other humanitarian organisations so they may resume services to all vulnerable people in Rakhine State,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said.
“We further call on the government to take meaningful steps to provide security for all humanitarian workers and residents of Rakhine State,” she said.
Violent mob attacks on United Nations and non governmental organisation offices worsened an already troubling situation stemming from restriction of the operations of a major humanitarian organisation that provided health care services to 1,40,000 internally displaced persons and hundreds of thousands of additional individuals in need, she said.
Currently, large segments of the population do not have access to adequate medical services, water, sanitation, and food. The government has so far failed to provide adequate security and the travel authorisations necessary for the humanitarian aid workers to resume their life-saving services, she added.
The US also urged Burma to take steps to ensure its census is conducted in a manner consistent with international standards, Harf said. (PTI)
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