- Violence drove 700,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh — 60% are children!”
- Priyanka met children at Unchiprang camp, which is currently home to around 30,000 Rohingyas
DHAKA: Bollywood superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra has been using the power of her fame to focus world leaders’ — and her fans’ — attention on the plight of Rohingya refugee children.
In a post on her official Instagram account, she wrote: “In the second half of 2017, the world saw horrific images of ethnic cleansing from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. This violence drove nearly 700,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh — 60% are children!”
Priyanka, UNICEF global Goodwill Ambassador, has embarked on a four-day visit to Rohingya children in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. On Monday she reached Dhaka in her bid to witness the plight of Rohingya children with her own eyes and monitor conditions on the ground.
Priyanka’s field trip with UNICEF started early in the morning when she visited the Hariakhali camp of Teknaf subdistrict, in Cox’s Bazar – one of the main entry points for Rohingya refugees. She spoke to Rohingya children, asking them about living conditions, what schooling they are receiving at the camps and whether they had had proper vaccinations.
“The world needs to care. We need to care. These kids are our future. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org,” Priyanka added in her Instagram post.
“She is here to raise global awareness of the issue of Rohingya refugee children,” said Benjamin Steinlechner, UNICEF spokesperson in Cox’s Bazar. The UNICEF ambassador will return to Dhaka on Thursday after concluding her visit to the refugee camps, Steinlechner told Arab News.
On Tuesday, Priyanka met children at Unchiprang camp, which is currently home to around 30,000 Rohingyas.