Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to commend Ms Suzanne Wargo of Rushcutters Bay for her ongoing work with the United Nations World Food Program in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Last month, women aid workers across the world were honoured for their dedication to humanitarian efforts as part of World Humanitarian Day. These people are the unsung heroes of the United Nations, risking and devoting their lives to support people who live in trying circumstances with limited resources.

Suzanne's work involves assisting the 850,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees whose mass exodus from Myanmar began in August 2017 and who are now housed within the world's largest refugee settlement. A large component of her role is providing food assistance whilst helping to transition the camp from a food distribution system to a voucher purchasing system. Suzanne believes that a voucher system gives people greater ownership over their daily resources, which helps to better identify and prioritise each family's individual needs. Currently 400,000 refugees in Cox's Bazar are using the voucher system, and Suzanne is working towards reaching 650,000 people by the end of the year.

Suzanne is not only an asset to our community but also a fantastic representative of Australian values, with her care for others, compassion and resilience. I thank her for her leadership and wish her the best in her future endeavours.