HUMANITARIAN assistance have started to arrive in the country for over 400,000 Rohingya refugees and some estimate suggests the number may quickly surge to over a million by year-end. Following Turkey other countries such as India, Morocco and Indonesia have already airlifted relief materials and more such relief will continue to arrive for sometime from now.
However what is more important now is to make sure adequate flow of assistance such as food, shelter and medicare to so many people in refugee camps but and also proper utilization of such assistance. Most urgent is to set up a proper leakage proof distribution system to prevent corruption and misuse of resources as there is a growing fear that it may miss targets and end up to the possession of powerful people wielding enough influence over the distribution system.
Bangladesh has a long history of mismanagement and inefficiency in handling aid and relief materials since its inception. Various government agencies have misused relief materials even during the recent disaster periods and deliberately looted much of it. For instance, during the recent flash floods in the Haor areas in March this year and also during the latest floods allegations galore against the Ministry of Food and also against the Ministry for Disaster Management and Relief for being too incompetent as moot relief materials did not reach the target groups.
It appears that the government is working on a plan to control the relief materials and its distribution to Rohingya refugee camps aiming at achieving political objectives at a time the government leaders are also gearing up an early election campaign. Many fear much of the assistance may be politically used and go unaccounted if political control dominates the system.
People have not taken well the recent police obstruction to major opposition party’s relief convoy at Cox’s Bazar before it started for Rohingya refugee camps at Ukhiya and other locations on Myanmar border. There is no doubt police acted on instruction of the ruling party leaders so that the opposition leaders can’t join the humanitarian assistance and remain out of the scene. It is an ominous sign that relief and rehabilitation of the Rohingya refugees may be used exclusively to ruling party’s benefits.
We want to pass a message at this stage that none should play mindlessly with the plight of the Rohingya people and make them prawn to this or that party’s political game plan. Relief distribution system must be foolproof and coordinated with international agencies as a way to stop pilferage. It must be transparent and proper record keeping must be there for ensuring that it is reaching the helpless people without hindrance.
The international community is not only sending help to the helpless Rohingyas but also will keep watch on its proper distribution. We should not create any misgiving and in our view a high power monitoring body with representatives of the donors agencies must be in charge of it.
However what is more important now is to make sure adequate flow of assistance such as food, shelter and medicare to so many people in refugee camps but and also proper utilization of such assistance. Most urgent is to set up a proper leakage proof distribution system to prevent corruption and misuse of resources as there is a growing fear that it may miss targets and end up to the possession of powerful people wielding enough influence over the distribution system.
Bangladesh has a long history of mismanagement and inefficiency in handling aid and relief materials since its inception. Various government agencies have misused relief materials even during the recent disaster periods and deliberately looted much of it. For instance, during the recent flash floods in the Haor areas in March this year and also during the latest floods allegations galore against the Ministry of Food and also against the Ministry for Disaster Management and Relief for being too incompetent as moot relief materials did not reach the target groups.
It appears that the government is working on a plan to control the relief materials and its distribution to Rohingya refugee camps aiming at achieving political objectives at a time the government leaders are also gearing up an early election campaign. Many fear much of the assistance may be politically used and go unaccounted if political control dominates the system.
People have not taken well the recent police obstruction to major opposition party’s relief convoy at Cox’s Bazar before it started for Rohingya refugee camps at Ukhiya and other locations on Myanmar border. There is no doubt police acted on instruction of the ruling party leaders so that the opposition leaders can’t join the humanitarian assistance and remain out of the scene. It is an ominous sign that relief and rehabilitation of the Rohingya refugees may be used exclusively to ruling party’s benefits.
We want to pass a message at this stage that none should play mindlessly with the plight of the Rohingya people and make them prawn to this or that party’s political game plan. Relief distribution system must be foolproof and coordinated with international agencies as a way to stop pilferage. It must be transparent and proper record keeping must be there for ensuring that it is reaching the helpless people without hindrance.
The international community is not only sending help to the helpless Rohingyas but also will keep watch on its proper distribution. We should not create any misgiving and in our view a high power monitoring body with representatives of the donors agencies must be in charge of it.
