Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh - Our Response

4/10/2017

Photo credit: Photoshot / Avalon

Rachel Bentley is the International Director of Children on the Edge. Returning from a visit to Bangladesh in September•, she made the following statement:

In the last month, a catastrophic rise of violence and ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State, Myanmar has forced over 480,000 Rohingya across the border to Bangladesh, into makeshift refugee camps and local communities. These already impoverished communities, who are still taking stock of recent flood damage, are ill-equipped to host scores of traumatised new arrivals.

Returning today from a trip to Cox’s Bazar and the Kutapalong area where we work, it is clear that the situation is in flux and evolving every day. At present we have observed the following regarding the location, conditions and provision of aid for refugees:

Makeshift Camps - The majority of new refugee arrivals are currently residing in appalling conditions within Kutupalong camp, which currently has an estimated population of over 300,000 people. This is made up of this month’s arrivals, and those who fled the surge of violence last October. According to our partners, 57% of these refugees are children. We have been working in the makeshift Kutupalong camp, providing education in a safe space for Rohingya refugee children for six years.
Local Communities - Over the last few weeks, in the slum communities of Cox’s Bazar and further enclave areas, there have been over 50,000 Rohingya arrivals. These areas are outside the scope of the UN and larger agencies, consequently it is here that Children on the Edge have been concentrating its efforts. We have been working here for many years supporting Community schools for working children and education for Rohingya enclave communities.

Pushback - There are many reports of Bangladeshi authorities pushing thousands of new arrivals back to the camps. It has been unclear how many have returned, or how long they will stay, but even before this recent influx, these communities were already 30 - 40% Rohingya. Due to fear of being discovered by the Bangladeshi authorities, Rohingya arrivals do not identify themselves.
Current provision - Media coverage has resulted in a dramatic change in the landscape of Cox’s Bazar, with many new organisations arriving in town. After needs assessments, some of the newer organisations will start work, but our local partners estimate that these will be short-lived aid responses, of around 3 months.

Our concern is that there will be an exodus of these organisations after this 3-month emergency stage. By the end of 2017, there is significant potential that thousands of refugees will be left without ongoing support. All larger aid agencies are limited to the official camps, so any refugee population returning to the slum communities will also be without help.

Our response

There are few solutions being presented for this beleaguered and stateless population, who are still largely unwelcome in Bangladesh and remain victims of hatred in Myanmar.

Over the last week our partners have conducted a survey determining that at present, the majority of refugees are situated in the Kutupalong camp. They are now carrying out further needs assessments, ascertaining how best to help in camp, identifying unreached groups and gaps in provision.

This will direct our first tranche of emergency humanitarian support (October-December 2017). This response will be implemented by our partners, MUKTI who we have been working with since 2000 and who have ample capacity.

We anticipate that within the next few weeks and months, refugees will migrate back towards the slum areas around Cox’s Bazar. Children on the Edge already have a presence in many of these communities through our support of Learning Centres for working children.

The second tranche of our support will commence from January 2018 onwards. During this stage it is likely we will establish a number of new learning centres for Rohingya children in the communities, however we will be constantly monitoring a situation that is, and will continue to be in constant flux.

The priority of any work we deliver is to extend support to the most vulnerable refugees, those who are unreached and overlooked. Whether in the camp areas or the communities, during this phase the Centres we establish will provide stable, safe spaces for children to learn, play and recover from the trauma they have been through.

This is an ongoing humanitarian emergency that will persist beyond 2018. We need to establish immediate humanitarian provision, as well as consistent longer term support for the most vulnerable displaced Rohingya children.

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