Staff Reporter:
Speakers have highlighted the need to ensure the safety and security of aid workers and vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, especially in the Rohingya response.
They also called for reducing management costs as aid decreases and criticized the World Bank’s recent $700 million loan pledge for the Rohingya and host community response.
They were speaking at a virtual event, titled “Act for Humanity—Leave No One Behind,” organized by COAST Foundation, Cox’s Bazar CSO-NGO Forum (CCNF), and BDCSO Coordination Process, in collaboration with the Alliance for Empowering Partnership (A4EP), to mark World Humanitarian Day.
They argued that loans in humanitarian efforts are unethical and set a bad global precedent.
The event was presided over by Shireen Huq of Naripokkho and moderated by Rezaul Karim Chow-dhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation. Keynote presentation was delivered by Md. Iqbal Ud-din of COAST.
Distinguished participants included Mirela Shuteriqi from ICVA, Switzerland; Gawher Nayeem Wahra from Disaster Forum, Bangladesh; Nanette S. Antequisa, Chairperson of A4EP and Executive Director of ECOWEB, Philippines; Palwashay Arbab from Community World Service Asia; Sudhanshu S. Singh, Executive Director of Humanitarian Aid International, India; Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Zaman, chair-person of Start Fund Bangladesh; Rafiqul Islam from Rupantor in Khulna; Fazlul Kader Chowdhury from Green Cox in Cox’s Bazar; Marianna Narhi, from NGO Platform, Coxs Bazar. AHM Bazlur Rah-man, CEO, BNNRC, Dhaka.
In his keynote, Md. Iqbal Uddin expressed concern that aid workers often become victims in conflict zones instead of being recognized as heroes while Mirela Shuteriqi stressed the need to protect civilians, aid workers, and humanitarian premises.
