RSN joined 12 Rohingya CBOs to send a letter to Humanitarian actors in CXB

Joint Letter by Rohingya Civil Society Organizations in Cox's Bazaar to Humanitarian Actors August 22, 2021 United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) United Nations International Children Emergency Found (UNICEF) World Food Programme (WFP) International Organization for Migration (IOM) World Health Organization (WHO) Save the Children (SCI) Bangladesh Rural Advertisement Committee (BRAC) United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Subject: Request for Day off for Volunteers on 25 August We are Rohingya civil society organizations based in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. This week, on 25 August, we will commemorate the five-year anniversary of the genocide that was committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar. In 2017, we fled the violence and came here to Bangladesh for safety. Countless numbers of our community were murdered, and hundreds of women and immature girls were raped and gang raped. Hundreds of thousands had to leave their homes. This date, 25 August, is when the clearing operations started. It is etched into our collective memories for all of the time. Every year, on this day, we must remember what happened to our people. We now live here, in Cox's Bazar refugee camp. We appreciate the humanitarian response and the organizations that enable us access to food, shelter, and the means to survive. Many of us actively participate in this response by working and volunteering for different humanitarian organizations in the camp. As 25 August approaches, we humbly request that these organizations grant a camp-wide day off for all Rohingya workers and volunteers, so that we are able to focus on mourning the genocide, and the brothers and sisters that were lost. We request this day off apply to all Rohingya workers other than those involved in emergency services, such as in the health sector. To respond to this request, we ask that you please communicate your answer to us by the morning of August 24, 2022. We also ask that each organization make a public announcement about this day of mourning. Civil Society Organizations: 1. Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) 2. Arakan Rohingya National Union (ARNU) 3. Rohingya Students Network (RSN) 4. Rohingya Women Empowerment and Advocacy Network (RWEAN) 5. Rohingya Students Union (RSN) 6. Rohingya Youth Association (RYA) 7. Education and Wisdom Development For Rohingya Women (EWDRW) 8. Rohingya Youth for Legal Action (RYLA) 9. Rohingya Women Association for Education and Development (RWAED) 10. Rohingya Students Unity Rights (RSUR) 11. Literature and Handicrafts for Rohingya women (LHRW) 12. Youths for Rohingya Development (YRD) 13. Rohingya Union for Women Education and Development (RUWED) Copy to: Inter Sector Coordination Group NGO Coordination Site Management Site Development Food Security Shelter/NFI Education Nutrition CwC WG WASH Email: ark.students.net@gmail.com, rwomenaed@gmail.com