Ask the Australian Government to help girls affected by the Rohingya crisis

Almost 60 per cent of refugees who’ve arrived in Bangladesh since August 25 are aged under 18, some 378,000 children. Many witnessed brutal violence and killing. Some saw their villages burnt to the ground.

More than 2680 children have been separated from their parents, either orphaned or lost in the chaos of escape from Myanmar. This is a children’s emergency of the highest order.

In December, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision held a series of in-depth consultations with 200 children and 40 mothers affected by the crisis. The stories they shared reveal that girls are especially vulnerable, with violence and trafficking a constant threat. They’ve gone from living in a community where they had close friends, a routine and safe places to play, to a chaotic, overcrowded and frightening place where they are confined to small tents for most of the day.

When asked what they need to improve their lives, children were very clear: they want to learn and play, feel safe, eat and live healthily, and for their families to earn an income. Some suggested practical improvements like better lighting to make is safer to go to the toilet at night. Some wanted bigger shelters enabling greater privacy. Almost all wanted to go to school.

Girls like Sabuka are counting on us.

Hear from 13-year-old Farida about life the Cox’s Bazaar camp:

Australians like you have been generous in their response to the catastrophic humanitarian emergency unfolding in Myanmar and Bangladesh but there’s more we can, and must, do to help. The scale of the crisis demands that the international community act together and as a regional leader, Australia can continue to play a powerful role.

Please ask the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to keep the pressure on the international community to urgently resolve the crisis. Together we can show how many Australians want our government and opposition to take a stand.

To the Hon. Julie Bishop MP we plead, the Australian Government must do more to protect Rohingya children, especially girls.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children continue to suffer in our region, in a crisis not of their making. Plan International’s research shows that girls are at particular risk of exploitation in overcrowded, under-resourced camps. As an important regional power, Australia has a critical role to play in helping these children.

Therefore, we ask that the Australian Government use its leadership and influence to:

– Urge the Government of Bangladesh to allow aid agencies access to those in need, particularly adolescent girls in Cox’s Bazar.
– Pressure the international community to fully fund the humanitarian response without delay.
– Ensure the rights of Rohingya children, especially girls are protected by using our seat on the Human Rights Council to keep the issue on the international agenda.

CC. Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

This petition is part of Plan International Australia’s ongoing Half a Billion Reasons campaign. Together we call on the Australian Government to prioritise gender equality for girls in Australia’s aid and foreign policy.