OIC to Provide 8,000 Houses for Rohingya Refugees in Myanmar

Jakarta - Chairman of Indonesian Red Cross Jusuf Kalla who recently visited Rohingya refugees in Myanmar with representative from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stated the OIC will build 8,000 houses for the refugees residing in Rakhine county. According to a press release from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) received on Sunday, Kalla said the new houses for refugees in Rakhine county are located in new area prepared by the Myanmar government. "During visit in Myanmar, the local government positively welcomes me and my colleagues' ideas to help the Rohingya refugees," Kalla said. Kalla visited Myanmar last Friday (Aug 10) with his entourage including former Indonesian ambassador to Russia Hamid Awaluddin, Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar S Sumarsono, Assistance to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)`s Secretary General Atta Abdul Mannan, and Qatar`s Red Crescent President Mohamed Ghanim Al-Maadheed, are currently on a visit to Myanmar. The visit was a follow up from a meeting between NGOs from 20 member states of the OIC in Kuala Lumpur last August 3. The meeting requested Indonesian Red Cross and the OIC to meet with Myanmar government and persuade it to open humanitarian aid's access to Rakhine county. (*)