UNICEF emergency aid for Rohingya children on way to Cox’s Bazar

UNICEF has dispatched trucks carrying emergency water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to thousands of Rohingya refugee children in Cox’s Bazar as part of a steady supply pipeline to be set up in coming days.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 14 Sept 2017, 06:11 AM
Updated : 14 Sept 2017, 06:11 AM

Nearly 60 percent of the almost 400,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since Aug 25 are children. The massive influx has overwhelmed existing refugee camps and new arrivals have been forced to seek shelter where they can.

“There are acute shortages of everything, most critically shelter, food and clean water,” said UNICEF’s Representative in Bangladesh Edouard Beigbeder.

“Conditions on the ground place children at high risk of water-borne diseases. We have a monumental task ahead of us to protect these extremely vulnerable children.”

The aid includes detergent powder, soap, pitchers and jugs for containing water, nappies, sanitary napkins, towels and sandals.

UNICEF is also working alongside the government on water treatment plants and carriers, and to install and rehabilitate tube wells.

“These items are part of a first wave of supplies that will massively scale-up UNICEF’s emergency response to the growing number of Rohingya children in Bangladesh,” Beigbeder said.

The UN child protection agency has requested $7.3 million to provide emergency relief to Rohingya children over the next four months.