Malaysian NGO to supply safe water for 60,000 Rohingya refugees
KUALA LUMPUR: At least some 60,000 Rohingya refugees from the Balukhali/ Kutupalong major refugee camp in the region of Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh will be supplied with safe drinking water come this December.
This has been made possible through the joint efforts of the Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia’s Response and Relief Team (IMARET) and the Muslim Volunteer Malaysia ( MVM) to build five field water treatment system, SafeWhere, at the largest refugee camp in Asia.
Each of the solar powered water treatment system built by IMARET with the help of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) is capable of supplying 12,500 litres of water daily for the use of 6,000 refugees.
IMARET’s coordinator, Dr Ahmad Munawar Helmi said with the assistance of MVM which will bring in the funds through a social media campaign, a total of 10 SafeWhere water treatment systems will be built in Cox’s Bazar.
This will make it possible for 60,000 refugees or 10 percent of the total population of 600,000 refugees in the area to get safe water daily, he said.
“We found that contaminated water has been the source of waterborne diseases in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.
“SafeWhere will provide them not only clean water for daily use but water that is safe for drinking,” he said at a joint press conference organised by MVM-IMARET for the SafeWhere fund raising campaign at MVM’s office in Puchong, near here, Wednesday.
MVM President, Muhammad Jantan said MVM will be running a fund raising campaign effective Wednesday through the social media to collect a targetted RM300,000 to built the solar powered water treatment system.
He said MVM was working with IMARET as the water treatment system will not only provide long term benefits for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh but the venture was also in line with MVM’s objectives of assisting communities marginalised in terms of development.
“We will be also sending a team of volunteers in the near term to identify suitable locations before the major mission which is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
“This cooperation is not only about building water treatment systems but to also raise awareness on the difference between safe drinking water and mere clean water for daily use,” he said.
Many of the tube wells built at the refugee camps only provide clean water for daily use and some of them get contaminated as they have been built without following the given specifications.
IMARET has so far built five SafeWhere water systems for the use of the Rohinya refugees and local communities in the areas including one at the Malaysia Field Hospital ( MFH) in August this year.
More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees escaped to Bangladesh when the Myanmar military began operations against them last August.
Meanwhile, those wishing to support the campaign can obtain more information at the Facebook and Instagram social websites of Muslim Volunteer Malaysia and IMARET or visit their webiste at: www.mvm.org.my.— Bernama