Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

UNHCR contributes to the overall strategic goals of the UN’s Joint Response Plan, which are:

- Collectively deliver protection to refugee women, men, girls and boys.

- Provide life-saving assistance to affected populations.

- Foster social cohesion.

Expected results

- the Government of Bangladesh is supported in managing the refugee camps;

- over 900,000 persons of concern are provided with individual documentation;

- up to 360,000 refugees live safely, with acceptable space standards and with access to services;

- up to 400,000 people are supported with shelter material, repairs and cooking fuel;

- up to 360,000 women, men and children in camps have access to functional latrines at agreed standards.

Target group / Beneficiaries

Austria's contribution of EUR 500,000 could help support at least 25,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The operation focuses on Cox's Bazar District. UNHCR's key partners include: the Government's Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and it’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), international and national NGOs such as the Danish Refugee Council or Bangladesh Red Crescent Society as well as a number of UN agencies, including IOM. In addition, UNHCR acknowledges the crucial role played by refugees in the response: over 3,000 volunteers from the refugee community are working side by side with humanitarian agencies.

Activities

- Monitor and provide services and case management for persons at heightened protection risk; advocate for the respect of refugees' rights and enhancing continuous registration and documentation for all refugees.

- Together with partners provide life-saving assistance to affected communities in a timely and efficient manner; enable equal access for all targeted populations, in the water and sanitation, shelter, health and nutrition sectors.

- Support the Government of Bangladesh and local partners and act as a catalyst for development actors to promote peaceful coexistence between refugee an host communities; support skills and microfinance projects to mitigate the impact caused by the Rohingya refugees' influx.

Context

Over a million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar in successive waves of displacement since the early 1990s.

The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar. The latest exodus began on 25 August 2017, when violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, driving more than 723,000 to seek refuge in Bangladesh. Most arrived in the first three months of the crisis. The vast majority reaching Bangladesh are women and children, and more than 40 per cent are under age 12. Many others are elderly people requiring additional aid and protection.

The total refugee population now stands at almost 900,000 in the District of Cox's Bazar, which is one of Bangladesh’s poorest and most vulnerable districts with a total population of 2,290,000 inhabitants.

Nearly all who arrived during the influx have sought shelter in and around the refugee settlements of Kutupalong and Nayapara in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district. Some have joined relatives there. The enormous scale of the influx is putting an immense pressure on the Bangladeshi host community and existing facilities and services.

The humanitarian response in Bangladesh remains focused on meeting the massive humanitarian needs and on mitigating the impact of the seasonal monsoon rains. However, additional international support is urgently needed to step up the assistance from purely humanitarian and day-to-day support towards addressing medium-term challenges, including resilience, education, registration and programmes to protect the most vulnerable refugees – including children, women and persons with specific needs.

Together with its partners UNHCR is working in support of the Bangladesh government to respond to the massive humanitarian needs.