Although the government of Bangladesh has implemented a mass vaccination campaign among Rohingyas for measles and diphtheria, the risk of an outbreak will remain unless living conditions are improved, says Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF). It said there is an urgent need for a better response from organisations providing healthcare to mitigate the risk of additional diseases spreading and to ensure that all those who need vaccinations receive them. As the settlements continue to expand, refugees face unequal access to basic services such as healthcare, food and water, which increases their vulnerability, the MSF observed.
“Work is continuing on a new road but additional improvements to access need to be made to ensure aid reaches everyone,” it said.
Since August 25, over 688,000 Rohingyas have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh and the influx still continues. Five months on, the situation for Rohingyas remains precarious; they are still living in makeshift shelters in overly populated settlements. Many lack access to safe drinking water and have poor hygiene and sanitation conditions. “What we see remains an acute emergency situation with huge humanitarian needs,” said the MSF. Living conditions for the refugees need to be massively improved with a particular focus on improvements to water and sanitation, shelter, reducing population density.
In the current context of dense population and poor water and sanitation conditions, the risk of people falling ill is high. Rohingyas are a vulnerable population who had little or no access to routine healthcare including vaccinations in Myanmar. People are already facing the spread of measles and diphtheria in the settlements.
