U.S. to give $32 million in aid for Rohingya Muslims

The United States will donate $32 million in humanitarian assistance to Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing violent clashes in Burma’s Rakhine state, the State Department announced on Wednesday. Officials said the assistance would help provide emergency shelter, food, and healthcare to refugees who have fled into neighboring Bangladesh and internally displaced persons still in Burma, also known as Myanmar. “The United States calls upon all parties to allow for unfettered humanitarian access to people in Rakhine State, Burma, and we also encourage other donors to join us in providing additional humanitarian assistance for those affected by the crisis,” said a statement from the State Department. Since the latest crisis began on Aug. 25, some 421,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh. The United States’ announcement comes as world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attacks as “ethnic cleansing” and called for an end to the violence.