(MENAFN) The World Food Program (WFP) has issued an urgent plea for $30 million in humanitarian aid to support Rohingya communities in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, as well as those displaced abroad, media reported Monday.

“The situation for Rohingya is dire,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s country director for Myanmar, in an interview with media. He stressed that the requested funds would cover essential needs for the next six months.

“If we don't get that money, people will go hungry, malnutrition will increase,” he warned.

Dunford underscored the importance of resolving the ongoing conflict in Myanmar to enable the safe return of Rohingya refugees. He urged stronger regional cooperation and intensified diplomatic pressure to end hostilities.

His remarks followed a stark alert from the UN human rights office on Friday, which warned of a worsening situation for the Rohingya and called for swift international intervention.

"As we near the passing of another year with no justice for the violence which started on 25 August 2017 in Myanmar, we are left to ask the question of when the enduring misery for these and ongoing crimes will end, particularly for the long-suffering Rohingya community," said spokesperson Jeremy Laurence during a press briefing in Geneva.

"Ending impunity and ensuring the Rohingya's rights to security, citizenship, and equality are essential for breaking the cycle of violence," he added.

Since 2017, Myanmar's military crackdown has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. While the majority have taken shelter in Bangladesh, many others have risked treacherous sea routes to reach Indonesia and other destinations in search of safety.

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