Malaysia Calls On World Bank To Help Displaced Refugees By Generating Economic Activities

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia, together with ASEAN, has called on the World Bank to do more to help displaced refugees by generating economic activities and jobs in communities now grappling with what is surely an escalating humanitarian crisis. In making the call, Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said there was a need for the bank to come out with long-lasting solutions to help host communities and countries manage demographic and macroeconomic shocks of displaced people. The "root cause needs to be addressed and the World Bank must work with United Nations agencies on this matter," he said in a statement issued today in conjunction with a delegation he led to the just-ended International Monetary Fund-World Bank Annual spring meetings in Washington DC. Husni also attended the World Bank's Development Committee 93rd Plenary Meeting representing the South East Asia Voting Group, whereby Malaysia as the spokesperson for the group made the call to help refugees. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the number of refugees worldwide rose to a staggering 59.5 million at end-2015 from 51.2 million in 2013 due to war, conflict and persecution. Grabbing the headlines of late is the burgeoning number of Syrian refugees now reportedly totalling more than 4.8 million. Husni said the World Bank needed to be more innovative and scale­up efforts in mitigating socio-economic vulnerabilities of forcibly displaced people. He stated that the task ahead for Malaysia and global leaders would be fraught with many difficult situations given the context of current uncertain global environment and escalating humanitarian crisis. On another matter, he said that the World Bank should proactively explore innovative financing options and other financial support facilities to assist member countries during and at the aftermath of a disaster. --BERNAMA