Volunteers not allowed to visit refugee camp because low level of safety

The low level of safety was the main reason the Bangladesh Government only allowed 25 volunteers of the Food Flotilla For Myanmar to visit the country's refugee camp.

Humanitarian Mission head Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the Bangladesh authorities were worried that they would not be able to control the situation if all the 182 volunteers went to the refugee camp.

"The safety of the volunteers is not guaranteed because they have found firearms at the refugee camp, that is why only 25 people were allowed to disembark.

"The Government of Bangladesh suggested that we come back in 15 days if we want to see the distribution of food supplies," he told reporters after handing over 2,000 tonnes of foodstuff to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) at Chittagong Port here Tuesday.

The symbolic handover was between Abdul Azeez and a representative of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry Khurshed Alam.

Abdul Azeez said the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and IOM would arrange the delivery of supplies to three camps in Kutupalong and Teknaf.

"The IOM will make checks before delivering the goods in a week," he said.

A Bernama survey found that the unloading of goods was in full swing with the help of over 10 Bangladeshi workers.

Nautical Aliya which left Port Klang on Feb 3, docked at Yangon port on Feb 9 to unload aid for the Rohingyas before heading for Chittagong.

The Food Flotilla for Myanmar is organised by the Putra 1Malaysia Club and the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisations with the participation of 182 volunteers from Malaysia and other countries. - Bernama