UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Published purpose

21 March 2011 - Large numbers of Burmese, particularly those from ethnic minority communities, suffer from severe persecution and discrimination by the Burmese government. This has resulted in long-standing, low-level armed conflict between the military and various separatist movements, particularly in southeast Burma. In Northern Rakhine State, up to 750,000 members of the Rohingya ethnic minority are deprived of their citizenship by the Burmese government, and are subjected to severe discrimination and under-development. This has resulted in a protracted humanitarian crisis and the movement of many thousands of Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh. CIDA's contribution is supporting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide humanitarian assistance to target communities in Burma. Specific activities include the provision of basic health, shelter, clean drinking water and sanitation, nutrition and education services to these communities, as well as promoting international human rights with the government, local authorities and community-based organizations.