Attachments
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
358,602
# Children in need of humanitarian assistance
708,743
# People in need
(UNICEF projection according to inter-agency SitReps, MIRA and BBS census 2011)
UNICEF Appeal 2017 US$9.45 million
*Thanks to the generous contribution from donors, UNICEF Bangladesh has achieved its funding requirement for the coordination/operational set up sector, receiving US$421,530 over the requested amount for 2017.
Highlights
• UNICEF requires US$20.7 million to implement its 2017-2018 response plan for Rohingya children. For 2017 alone, UNICEF is seeking US$9.45 million to address the needs of Rohingya children and their families.
• An estimated 8,347 (40%) out of a targeted 20,979 Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMNs) children aged 4-14 years, both pre-existing and newly arrived, have access to basic non-formal education in all makeshift settlements.
• 8,653 children (37%) out of a targeted 23,500 have access to recreational and psychosocial support. Out of 325 targeted unaccompanied and separated children, UNICEF assisted in reunifying 27 with their families.
• A total of 27,721 children (67%) out of a targeted 41,072 from both UMNs and host communities were screened for malnutrition. A total of 101,937 Children aged 9-59 months were vaccinated against Measles and Rubella (MR) in makeshift settlements and hard-to-reach host communities. 15,200 (29.8%) people out of targeted 51,000 have access to safe drinking water and 9,700 people were provided with improved sanitation facilities against a target of 25,000.
• Mirroring the cluster structure at national level, an Inter Sectoral Coordination Group (ISCG) is in place both at Dhaka and Cox level replacing the previous Inter Agency Coordination Mechanism (IACM) led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). UNICEF continues to lead sectoral coordination in Nutrition, Child Protection (more commonly known as Child-Centred Care in Cox’s Bazar) and co-leads in Education with Save the Children. Though UNICEF leads the WASH cluster at national level, the NGO Action against Hunger (ACF) leads the sub-national sector in Cox’s Bazar.
• On 30 May 2017 Cyclone Mora made landfall over Bangladesh’s coastal eastern region and affected 335,000 population including 105,500 UMNs. Response is under way in all sectors and integrated within the Rohingya response plan.
• Since January 2017, two abduction cases in the makeshift settlements took place. Tension has grown between newly arrived and pre-existing Rohingya due to competition for access to relief, resources, space and getting enlisted for further services.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The new influx of 74,000 Rohingya since October 2016, coupled with another 300,000-500,000 of pre-existing Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMNs), and 32,000 registered Rohingya refugees, has created a dire humanitarian crisis in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. The district is one of the most vulnerable districts, not only for its poor performance in child-related indicators but as well for its vulnerability to natural hazards. Among the new arrivals around 57%1 are children (49% are male and 51% female). Among these children, 3.3% are unaccompanied minors at risk of being forced into child marriage, exploitation and labour. The access to water, sanitation and hygiene is very poor as 55% of the new arrivals experience limited access to water.2 The situation is worst regarding open defecation, as only 5% of the new arrivals have access to some form of sanitation facility. Malnutrition still exists3. Inadequate food consumption, poor infant child feeding, and inappropriate sanitation and hygiene practices, are among the main determinants of poor child nutrition. In addition, UMN children’s right to education in the makeshift settlements was denied for the last three decades.
On 30 May, cyclone Mora hit the Cox’s Bazar area and further deteriorated the already critical humanitarian situation linked to the Rohingya recent influx. Large parts of the makeshift settlements inhabited by Rohingya were devastated. An estimated 25% of the shelters were severely damaged, and more than 55% were partially damaged, with rooftops blown away, bamboo pillars broken, fences fallen off, and further soil erosion.4 Almost all UNICEF-supported Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) in the makeshift settlements and host communities covering over 22,000 children have been affected. Psychosocial and recreational kits and other essential supplies were damaged. As per the education sector assessment, 61 out of 314 non-formal schools/learning centres for out-of-school children in the registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities were fully damaged and 93 schools were partially damaged. The education materials of these schools were also destroyed either partially or fully. The affected population is likely to face more challenges in meeting its WASH and Health needs throughout the current cyclone season.
To address the on-going humanitarian needs of the Rohingya population in Bangladesh, UNICEF seeks US$20.7 million to provide Child-Centred Care (Child Protection), Education, Nutrition, WASH and Health support to 358,602 children for two years through direct interventions and by strengthening local governance systems. The response includes life-saving needs for the new influx, recovery support and medium-term development activities including resilience to natural disasters.