UNITED SIKHS provides life-saving aid to Rohingya
Since the late 1970s, nearly one million Rohingya have fled Myanmar due to widespread persecution. The situation escalated in November 2016 when a UN official accused the Myanmar government of conducting “ethnic cleansing” against the Rohingya. Currently, over 50,000 Rohingyas have sought refuge in Naikhogchari, a district near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, where they face severe hardship and are reliant on aid for survival.
UNITED SIKHS recognized the urgent need to support the displaced Rohingya people and committed to providing essential relief supplies. The organization aimed to establish a base camp in Naikhogchari to coordinate the collection and distribution of supplies such as plastic sheets, water, food, jaggery, and vegetables.
UNITED SIKHS, in collaboration with local coordinators and under the guidance of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) Chief of Naikhogchari, identified areas where assistance was most urgently needed. The team quickly established a base camp and began collecting and distributing emergency relief supplies to the refugees. Ronny Singh, the local UNITED SIKHS coordinator in Bangladesh, emphasized the organization’s role as a buffer in response to the massive influx of refugees fleeing persecution.
Through the dedicated efforts of UNITED SIKHS volunteers, vital resources are being provided to the Rohingya refugees, offering them much-needed relief. The ongoing efforts are part of a broader mission to uphold the legacy of the Sikh Gurus by supporting those in dire circumstances. However, the scale of the crisis requires continued support.
As Gurvinder Singh, Sikh Aid Director for UNITED SIKHS, stated, “A genocide is occurring right before our eyes. We will not sit silent; we will carry the legacy forth to provide for those in the most dire of circumstances.”
