UNHCR praises Princess Haya's support to relieve displaced Rohingya

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, has praised the Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City, IHC, H.R.H. Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, Wife of Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for her support to alleviate the suffering of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

In a timely response to the humanitarian emergency in Bangladesh, H.R.H. Princess Haya donated some AED1.4 million (US$384,525) to support the provision of core relief items and temporary shelters for nearly 13,510 displaced Rohingya. The donation comes at a time of a massive new wave of Rohingya fleeing violence acts in Myanmar, with the number of refugees who reached Bangladesh since the end of August reaching over 420,000.

UNHCR’s Head of Office in the United Arab Emirates, Toby Harward, praised the humanitarian response of Princess Haya, and said, "We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness for her generous support of those in dire need of humanitarian aid and shelter. This support provides a critical lifeline for Rohingya refugees as they face this desperate crisis."

According to the UNHCR, Rohingya refugees have been making long harsh journeys to reach a safe haven, with many of them walking through jungles and mountainous regions for several days, and thousands more who braved risky voyages across the Bay of Bengal. The vast majority of refugees are women, including mothers with newborn babies, and families with children. They arrive in poor condition, exhausted, hungry and desperate for shelter.

Earlier this year Princess Haya made a generous contribution of approximately AED4 million ($1.1 million) for the deployment of Refugee Housing Units in Iraq, Niger, Cameroon, Algeria, Tunisia, and Mozambique.

Additionally, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Haya responded to the emergency in South Sudan by funding airlifts of core relief items for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.