Hossen Sohel: Aurora Prize Laureate Kyaw Hla Aung, a noted lawyer activist from Myanmar yesterday announced he would donate his $ 1 million award money towards humanitarian relief work among Rohingya refugees, reports PTI.
He was given the award this year for his fight against injustice and advocating on behalf of the Rohingya people, PTI reports.
The money will be distributed among three international organisations — Medicins Sans Frontieres or MSF, the International Catholic Migration Commission or ICMC and MERCY Malaysia — providing medical aid and assistance to Rohingya refugees across South East Asia, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative or AHI has announced.
MSF, UK, will receive $400,000, while MERCY Malaysia and the ICMC $300,000 each. This initiative will benefit around 3,75,000 Rohingya refugees, said the PTI citing a statement.
The AHI, founded on behalf of the Armenian Genocide survivors, seeks to help those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid. MSF is directing the funds to further advance the emergency response in the Balukhali Makeshift Settlements in Bangladesh, the AHI said.
The organisation estimates that it will benefit approximately 2,50,000 Rohingya refugees, it said.
The ICMC is allocating its share of the Aurora funds to two initiatives directed at empowering Rohingya refugees in Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
It also aims at improving damaged infrastructure at the Kutupalong Camp settlement in Bangladesh. The ICMC estimates that over 20,000 people will benefit from these projects.
MERCY Malaysia will use its share of the funds to provide primary and maternal health care, and operational support to Rohingyas by collaborating with the Rakhine State Health Department in the Sittwe IDP camps and Kyauktan village.
MERCY Malaysia estimates that over 1,00,000 Rohingya people will benefit from this initiative.