Staff Reporter :
International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency, on Friday highlighted the need for a coordinated humanitarian response to the massive inflow of destitute people fleeing Myanmar and arriving in Cox’s Bazar.
Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) agencies operating in Cox’s Bazar have appealed for $ 77.1 million to fund the emergency response through year end. Several agencies, including IOM, have committed funding from their emergency reserves.
As part of the overall ISCG appeal, IOM launched a Flash Appeal, covering the next three months, of $ 26.1 million to meet the immediate needs of the newly arrived people. The appeal includes $ 100,000 for the coordination of the response.
It is estimated that new arrivals have reached 391,000 and there is no sign of the flow of people drying up, as smoke from burning villages in Myanmar’s North Rakhine State remains clearly visible from the Cox’s Bazar district.The total accumulated number of Rohingya in the country stood till date to 5, 88,579.
Within the framework of Bangladesh’s National Strategy on Myanmar Refugees and Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMNs) in Bangladesh, IOM has been coordinating the humanitarian assistance to people who have crossed in Bangladesh from Myanmar and vulnerable host communities in Cox’s Bazar since 2014.
Prior to the latest influx, IOM Bangladesh was coordinating humanitarian assistance to some 200,000 living in makeshift settlements and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Lifesaving services delivered by IOM and its partner agencies include clean water and sanitation, shelter, food security, health care, education, and psychosocial support for the most vulnerable individuals, many whom are suffering from acute mental trauma or are survivors of sexual violence.
According to the report of cxbcoordination.org, the department of Immigration and Passports of Bangladesh continued biometric registration, with crowds of arrivals waiting in line to be registered.
Border guards, local residents and camp committees in the pre-existing makeshift settlements are continuing to direct new arrivals to the new spontaneous settlements. The number of new arrivals seen in host communities is decreasing; significant numbers of new arrivals are still seen along the roadsides at Kutupalong.
Figures show the majority of new arrivals are moving from host community villages towards the other sites. Nevertheless, significant numbers of new arrivals in local communities is forming urban and rural slums.
The Prime Minister’s Office of Bangladesh hosted a meeting in which it was clarified that the National Taskforce would remain in place, with MoDMR playing a strong operational role and lead in shelter and site management.
A new camp adjacent to Kutupalong is proposed and will be established under the supervision of MoDMR. The Secretary will be travelling to Cox’s Bazar on Saturday 16 September to facilitate planning. The Army will be deployed to support logistics from Chittagong Airport.
Despite local regulations, private distribution of relief items occurred throughout the day, causing huge crowds and putting people at risk. The District Administration has established control room opposite the Kutupalong gas station, staffed by police and local administration, whose role includes improved management of the incoming private donations, roadsides and crowds.
Humanitarian agencies continue to deliver basic assistance including food, plastic sheets, and water. The Logistics Cluster is sending a representative to assess support for humanitarian agencies in Cox’s Bazar.
Thousands of the new arrivals are now walking north along clogged roads towards a 1,500-acre settlement site demarcated by the Government. Located between two of the biggest makeshift settlements of Kutupalong and Balukhali, the site will help aid agencies to access over 200,000 new arrivals currently camping or living in the open on waste ground, hillsides or by the side of the road.
In these so-called spontaneous settlements, people who arrive from Myanmar exhausted, hungry and often traumatized by the violence that they have seen, are living in terrible conditions, often with no shelter, no food, and no access to clean water or basic services.
“To respond to this inflow, which is unprecedented in terms of speed and numbers, we need to ensure a coordinated response among the growing number of agencies bringing lifesaving aid to the thousands of people flooding into Cox’s Bazar,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Director of Operations and Emergencies.
“In order to help the most vulnerable, we have to identify who needs what where, and which agency can provide it. This is critical if we are to get help to the people who need it most, as fast as possible,” Abdiker added.
The Government of Bangladesh, foreign governments, including Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia, and aid agencies on the ground are now racing against the clock to bring in the lifesaving food, shelter, water, sanitation, health and other services that the new arrivals need.
The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, the European Commission and the United Kingdom have also made funding commitments, but agencies face a huge funding shortfall. This is likely to increase as people continue to arrive from Myanmar.
International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency, on Friday highlighted the need for a coordinated humanitarian response to the massive inflow of destitute people fleeing Myanmar and arriving in Cox’s Bazar.
Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) agencies operating in Cox’s Bazar have appealed for $ 77.1 million to fund the emergency response through year end. Several agencies, including IOM, have committed funding from their emergency reserves.
As part of the overall ISCG appeal, IOM launched a Flash Appeal, covering the next three months, of $ 26.1 million to meet the immediate needs of the newly arrived people. The appeal includes $ 100,000 for the coordination of the response.
It is estimated that new arrivals have reached 391,000 and there is no sign of the flow of people drying up, as smoke from burning villages in Myanmar’s North Rakhine State remains clearly visible from the Cox’s Bazar district.The total accumulated number of Rohingya in the country stood till date to 5, 88,579.
Within the framework of Bangladesh’s National Strategy on Myanmar Refugees and Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMNs) in Bangladesh, IOM has been coordinating the humanitarian assistance to people who have crossed in Bangladesh from Myanmar and vulnerable host communities in Cox’s Bazar since 2014.
Prior to the latest influx, IOM Bangladesh was coordinating humanitarian assistance to some 200,000 living in makeshift settlements and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Lifesaving services delivered by IOM and its partner agencies include clean water and sanitation, shelter, food security, health care, education, and psychosocial support for the most vulnerable individuals, many whom are suffering from acute mental trauma or are survivors of sexual violence.
According to the report of cxbcoordination.org, the department of Immigration and Passports of Bangladesh continued biometric registration, with crowds of arrivals waiting in line to be registered.
Border guards, local residents and camp committees in the pre-existing makeshift settlements are continuing to direct new arrivals to the new spontaneous settlements. The number of new arrivals seen in host communities is decreasing; significant numbers of new arrivals are still seen along the roadsides at Kutupalong.
Figures show the majority of new arrivals are moving from host community villages towards the other sites. Nevertheless, significant numbers of new arrivals in local communities is forming urban and rural slums.
The Prime Minister’s Office of Bangladesh hosted a meeting in which it was clarified that the National Taskforce would remain in place, with MoDMR playing a strong operational role and lead in shelter and site management.
A new camp adjacent to Kutupalong is proposed and will be established under the supervision of MoDMR. The Secretary will be travelling to Cox’s Bazar on Saturday 16 September to facilitate planning. The Army will be deployed to support logistics from Chittagong Airport.
Despite local regulations, private distribution of relief items occurred throughout the day, causing huge crowds and putting people at risk. The District Administration has established control room opposite the Kutupalong gas station, staffed by police and local administration, whose role includes improved management of the incoming private donations, roadsides and crowds.
Humanitarian agencies continue to deliver basic assistance including food, plastic sheets, and water. The Logistics Cluster is sending a representative to assess support for humanitarian agencies in Cox’s Bazar.
Thousands of the new arrivals are now walking north along clogged roads towards a 1,500-acre settlement site demarcated by the Government. Located between two of the biggest makeshift settlements of Kutupalong and Balukhali, the site will help aid agencies to access over 200,000 new arrivals currently camping or living in the open on waste ground, hillsides or by the side of the road.
In these so-called spontaneous settlements, people who arrive from Myanmar exhausted, hungry and often traumatized by the violence that they have seen, are living in terrible conditions, often with no shelter, no food, and no access to clean water or basic services.
“To respond to this inflow, which is unprecedented in terms of speed and numbers, we need to ensure a coordinated response among the growing number of agencies bringing lifesaving aid to the thousands of people flooding into Cox’s Bazar,” said Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Director of Operations and Emergencies.
“In order to help the most vulnerable, we have to identify who needs what where, and which agency can provide it. This is critical if we are to get help to the people who need it most, as fast as possible,” Abdiker added.
The Government of Bangladesh, foreign governments, including Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia, and aid agencies on the ground are now racing against the clock to bring in the lifesaving food, shelter, water, sanitation, health and other services that the new arrivals need.
The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, the European Commission and the United Kingdom have also made funding commitments, but agencies face a huge funding shortfall. This is likely to increase as people continue to arrive from Myanmar.
