People across Wales have seen the tragic scenes of people, mostly Rohingya women and children, fleeing violence in Rakhine. This terrible violence has caused over 0.5 million people to seek refuge in Bangladesh. More than 500,000 people have crossed the border since 25 August and are in need of emergency food assistance; 300,000 people are in need of emergency shelter assistance. More than half of new arrivals are children under 18 years old, and one in 10 are pregnant or lactating mothers.

In Cox’s Bazar region, in southern Bangladesh, the local communities are struggling to cope with the displacement of people. Families are living in makeshift shelters on the side of the road or in overcrowded public buildings with no clean drinking water, toilets or washing facilities. Water provision and health services are stretched to breaking point, food is scarce and many people are reliant on aid to feed their families. Some are surviving on just one bowl of rice a day. With heavy rain and flooding, the risk of disease and infection is alarmingly high. Aid is needed now to relieve this humanitarian crisis.

Wales as a global nation should work with our friends internationally in order to tackle humanitarian suffering where we find it. In the past, yes, Wales has donated strongly to such appeals and, hopefully, the public will do so again this time. So, please donate by texting ‘HELPU’ to 70000 to donate £5, an amount that could provide a family with clean water for a week, or go to dec.org.uk to donate.