Relief For Rohingya Facing Government Sanctioned Ethnic Cleansing In Myanmar

1.1 million Rohingya Muslims still live in the Rahkine State in Myanmar. Rohingya Muslims are perhaps the most persecuted people in the world, and face systemic racism and discrimination daily. Their own government denies them citizenship, and does not recognize them as one of the countries 135 official ethnicities. At the same time, the Myanmar government won't allow the Rohingya to leave the country. As a result of decades of persecution, government-sanctioned violence, and atrocious living conditions, over 1 million Rohingya have been forced to flee and take up residence in neighboring countries. As far back as 2013, Myanmar officials have been accused of ethnic cleansing, but the violence has been dramatically escalating over the last year. Since August of 2017, nearly half of the 1.1 remaining Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have fled due to the scorched earth strategy implemented by the government. 60% of villages have been destroyed and are now vacant, women raped, infants thrown in nearby rivers to drown, and 6 year olds beheaded. It is estimated more than 1,000 deaths have occurred at the hands of the Myanmar government. This genocide needs to end, and the millions of refugees deserve our assistance. Please consider donating to the organizations below, chosen for their ability to deliver immediate aid, and for their longterm advocacy goals.

International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence and displacement across Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State. Over 400,000 people have fled the violence since August 25 to Bangladesh, and the IRC expects the number of to reach 500,000 - half of the known Rohingyan population - by the end of the week. As the largest provider of health assistance in Rakhine state, the IRC is particularly concerned by the over 120,000 internally-displaced persons cut off from life-saving services, particularly in light of dire pre-existing conditions.

Donate here: https://help.rescue.org/donate

Fortify Rights

Fortify Rights works to prevent and remedy human rights violations. We investigate and document abuses, provide customized technical support to human rights defenders, and press for solutions.

Donate here: http://www.fortifyrights.org/donate.html

Save The Children

Rohingya crisis response needs to be scaled up urgently as desperation grows in Bangladesh. Almost 300,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in the past two and a half weeks following a rapid and alarming escalation of violence in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, since August 25, including disturbing reports of hundreds of people, including children, being killed. Save the Children has been supporting the long-term needs of displaced Rohingya families in and is now scaling up its relief work, and has distributed hundreds of shelter kits, set up ‘child friendly spaces’ to support children’s emotional wellbeing and provide a safe space to play, and is running child protection services and providing support to unaccompanied children.

Donate here: https://secure.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.9535467/k.A7EB/Rohingya_Crisis_Childrens_Relief_Fund/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp

Nexus Fund

We work in areas where there are significant risks of mass atrocities but still opportunity for prevention. We support local on-the-ground efforts with micro-grants through three programs: The Atrocity Prevention Small Grants Fund invests in community-led initiatives to build more peaceful societies and prevent mass violence against innocent people. The Dangerous Speech Global Fund supports efforts to understand and counter hate speech that can catalyze mass violence in communities around the world - including in the United States. The Civil Society Exchange Program gives front-line activists the opportunity to spend up to two months working in-person with other organizations around the world on prevention-focused joint projects, skills sharing, or research to increase their ability to be effective in their efforts.

Donate here: https://www.nexus-fund.org/donate/