UN makes urgent fund appeal for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The United Nations has called upon international communities for scaling up their support so that UN agencies can continue humanitarian operations for hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas arrived in Bangladesh escaping violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since Aug 25.

“One month since the start of the crisis, UN agencies are scaling up to meet life-saving needs but further funding required,” the UN office in Dhaka said in a statement on Sunday.

“There is an urgent need to continue scaling up humanitarian operations to meet the growing needs of the refugees.”

So far, more than 436,000 refugees have crossed the border from Rakhine state to a number of areas in Cox’s Bazar district.

They are settling in severely overcrowded camps and makeshift settlements where there is very limited access to basic services such as food, clean water and shelters.

 

“In just one month more than 436,000 have fled across land and water to seek refuge in Bangladesh,” UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Robert Watkins said.

“All available land is now in the process of being built on as the refugees have put up shelters that can offer them some protection.”

“The UN and its NGO partners are working to support the Government to provide the refugees with life-saving assistance. The scale of the needs are immense, and we urgently need funding to increase the support we are providing rapidly.”

UN agencies have been working to meet the life-saving needs of the refugees since the crisis began.

A preliminary Response Plan for $77 million was launched in August.

The UN statement, however, said the number of refugees had increased dramatically, this is currently being revised, and a new plan and funding target will be launched at the beginning of October to support the refugees and the host communities for six months.

To date, UN agencies and their partners have been providing people with emergency shelter kits, food, healthcare, and clean water and sanitation facilities.

The people who have arrived in the area are extremely vulnerable, having left their homes and possessions behind.

The majority of the refugees are women and children, with one in five households estimated to be headed by women.

Growing numbers of separated and unaccompanied children are being reported, and support-services for gender-based violence has been identified as a critical need.

Humanitarian actors are also providing access to temporary learning spaces and safe spaces for children, psychosocial support and mental health care services and specialised support for survivors of violence.

“As we mark one month since this crisis started, I take this opportunity to thank the national authorities and the people of Bangladesh for their generosity and to commend the tireless work of the aid workers, teachers, volunteers and the host communities for their support to the refugees,” Watkins said.