TRANSPARENCY International Bangladesh in their latest report said that Bangladesh will face long-term financial, political and security challenges if Rohingya repatriation may not happen anytime soon. Moreover, the fund from the international community for nearly one million Rohingyas may not sustain as no strong international initiative has been taken to oblige Myanmar for creating a conducive environment for their repatriation. It also involves the risks of growing extremism as the people who face violence are more likely to become violent.
According to the report, the funding for the Rohingyas from the international community is on the decline. Bangladesh got 73 percent of the projected fund in 2017, 69 percent in 2018 and 55 percent as of October this year. The government of Bangladesh has so far spent Tk 2,308 crore on the Rohingyas since the latest influx of the refugees began in August 2017. Bangladesh had sheltered the Rohingyas on humanitarian ground, but the problem is lingering due to some influential countries and the international community, which have not done enough to oblige Myanmar to solve the crisis.
The TIB report revealed a host of challenges in managing the Rohingya crisis, including financial anomalies, lack of coordination among government and aid agencies, duplication of activities, and delay in approval of projects by the government bodies concerned. It also said the offices of the Refugee Rehabilitation and Repatriation (RRRC), DC and UNOs in Cox’s Bazar are doing the same work of monitoring and regulating the activities of the NGOs. There is also a gap between the RRRC and the DC office in terms of sharing information.
As a result, NGOs have been facing delays in getting project approvals, work permissions, project completion certificates, and assessments of relief materials. The government has no structure for ensuring accountability of the UN agencies and their implementing partners. In addition, the standard ratio between operation cost and programme cost of the UN agencies and the partner organisations is often higher. According to the information of seven UN organisations, during 2017-2019, the UN Women spent the highest (32.6 percent) for its operation while the UNICEF had the lowest operation cost, 3 percent.
A stronger coordination among the government bodies, UN agencies, and NGOs to check the financial anomalies and duplication of work is a dire necessary. Diplomatic efforts should get more priority to repatriate the forced migrated Rohingya.
According to the report, the funding for the Rohingyas from the international community is on the decline. Bangladesh got 73 percent of the projected fund in 2017, 69 percent in 2018 and 55 percent as of October this year. The government of Bangladesh has so far spent Tk 2,308 crore on the Rohingyas since the latest influx of the refugees began in August 2017. Bangladesh had sheltered the Rohingyas on humanitarian ground, but the problem is lingering due to some influential countries and the international community, which have not done enough to oblige Myanmar to solve the crisis.
The TIB report revealed a host of challenges in managing the Rohingya crisis, including financial anomalies, lack of coordination among government and aid agencies, duplication of activities, and delay in approval of projects by the government bodies concerned. It also said the offices of the Refugee Rehabilitation and Repatriation (RRRC), DC and UNOs in Cox’s Bazar are doing the same work of monitoring and regulating the activities of the NGOs. There is also a gap between the RRRC and the DC office in terms of sharing information.
As a result, NGOs have been facing delays in getting project approvals, work permissions, project completion certificates, and assessments of relief materials. The government has no structure for ensuring accountability of the UN agencies and their implementing partners. In addition, the standard ratio between operation cost and programme cost of the UN agencies and the partner organisations is often higher. According to the information of seven UN organisations, during 2017-2019, the UN Women spent the highest (32.6 percent) for its operation while the UNICEF had the lowest operation cost, 3 percent.
A stronger coordination among the government bodies, UN agencies, and NGOs to check the financial anomalies and duplication of work is a dire necessary. Diplomatic efforts should get more priority to repatriate the forced migrated Rohingya.
