UNHCR
Bangladesh against any idea leading to Rohingya integration: FM
The government has taken a very strong stance against the idea floated by the World Bank that apparently suggests the integration of Rohingyas into Bangladesh as Bangladesh’s priority remains repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland.
“We took a very strong stance. We didn’t like it and we opposed it strongly. We conveyed it,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told UNB.
The World Bank came up with a programme as part of its Refugee Policy Review Framework globally for refugee host countries through the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
“Rohingyas are not refugees here. They’re taking shelter temporarily,” Dr Momen said, adding that Bangladesh wants the repatriation of Rohingyas to their place of origin in Myanmar.
Asked about the WB’s proposed programme, the Foreign Minister said the WB is saying effective steps to be taken to identify, prevent and mitigate social tensions and risk of violence among the displaced people and host communities, building good relations among themselves, and to employ them in local works.
Read: Poor host communities fume as Rohingyas start grabbing local labour market
He said they (WB) are saying Rohingyas should have the right to work and free mobility; and birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates should be issued for the Rohingyas like Bangladesh citizens. “Naturally, we don’t accept those ideas. They (WB) are willing to give money for these if we do integrate them.”
As per the WB ideas shared with the ERD, the Rohingyas should have access to local labour market, including business opportunities, the same way Bangladesh nationals have with the same payment facilities.
Poor host communities fume as Rohingyas start grabbing local labour market
An anger is growing among poor hosts as the Rohingyas, living in Bangladesh’s tourism hub of Cox’s Bazar, are increasingly joining the local labour market, leaving many locals out of their jobs and small businesses.
The host communities claimed that Rohingyas can easily come out from their camps and get engaged in work at the local labour market with their increased presence.
“You need to pay a local labourer Tk 600 a day and you can do the same job engaging a Rohingya with only Tk 200-300. Naturally, the Rohingyas get a preference when someone hires a day-labourer,” one of the locals told UNB, wishing not to be named.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and Bhasan Char.
The UN is likely to begin its operational activities in Bhasan Char in September if the current negotiation ends with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in August.
Palangkhali UP chairman in Ukhiya upazila M Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said locals are no longer getting desired jobs as Rohingyas are preferred for lower wages. “Even, no one is stopping it… even the Rohingyas are getting involved in small businesses.”
Hamidul Haque Chowdhury who works to protect the interests of locals said the Rohingyas are even working in various NGOs.
Read: Floods, landslides hit Rohingya camps hard: UNHCR
“They also work in various shops and doing household works. I myself saw them doing all this,” he told UNB, adding that Rohingya workers and employees are outnumbering the locals.
Mohammad Shamsu Douza, Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said they have no such information that the Rohingyas are working in various NGOs.
Floods, landslides hit Rohingya camps hard: UNHCR
More than 12,000 refugees have been affected, while an estimated 2,500 shelters have been damaged or destroyed by heavy downpours, the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has said.
In the last 24 hours alone, over 300mm of rain fell on camps hosting more than 8 lakh Rohingya refugees – nearly half the monthly rainfall average for July in one day.
Three days of heavy monsoon rains and strong winds pelted massive refugee sites in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar Tuesday, causing flash floods and landslides; the situation is further compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, the UNHCR said.
More rains are expected in the next few days, with the monsoon season stretching over the next three months, the UN agency added.
Read: Landslide kills 5 at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp
There is currently a strict national lockdown in response to rising cases across the country.
In support of the government-led response, the UNHCR's network of emergency response teams have been deployed, to provide immediate support and assistance to affected families and to those forced to temporarily relocate.
Teams are also assessing the damage to shelters and initiating immediate shelter repairs and site improvements.
Refugee volunteers trained by the UNHCR, and partners are also working day and night in heavy rain to help families in urgent need. In some cases, this has involved rescuing refugees from shelters destroyed by landslides.
Read: Govt to vaccinate Rohingyas gradually starting with above-55s: Foreign Secretary
So far, more than 5,000 refugees have temporarily relocated to other family member's shelters or communal facilities.
The adverse weather, latest landslides and floods further exacerbate the suffering and massive humanitarian needs of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
To date, the 2021 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh has received only $274 million, roughly 30% of the $943 million required for the response this year.
Rohingya vaccination depends on arrival of vaccines from COVAX
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and the humanitarian community are waiting for the arrival of vaccine doses under the COVAX facility to begin the vaccination of Rohingyas in Bangladesh as it was originally scheduled to begin by the end of March.
The government of Bangladesh, however, wants to ensure vaccination of both the Rohingyas and host community together depending on the availability of vaccine doses as it does not want to see any discrimination against anybody, officials said.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, saw a significant rise in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in Rohingya camps in April and May last.
Also read: Strict lockdown imposed in Teknaf and five Rohingya camps
Twenty people died of Covid infections in the camps, while 1,566 Covid-19 cases were confirmed as of June 20, according to the UNHCR.
World Refugee Day should serve as stark reminder to politicians to do more: UNHCR
The World Refugee Day, which observed on June 20, should serve as a stark reminder to politicians of the need to do more to prevent and resolve conflict and crises and of the imperative to protect people irrespective of their race, nationality, beliefs or other characteristics, of the need to speak out and fight injustice, instead of fueling division and fomenting hate and to resolve to find pragmatic and lasting solutions to crises instead of blaming others or vilifying victims, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in a message ahead of the World Refugee Day.
''Two days ago, we announced that an unprecedented number of people have been forced to flee their homes. More than 82.4 million men, women and children have had their worlds turned upside down by war, violence and persecution. While the rest of us spent much of the last year at home to stay safe, they had to run from their homes just to stay alive.'' ''And as world leaders are seemingly unable or unwilling to make peace, more and more displaced people pay the price. In the past three years alone, some one million children were born into a life of exile. What will their futures hold? What opportunities will they have to achieve their potential?,'' Grandi asked.
Also read: Bangladesh observes World Refugee Day highlighting refugees' rights
Simply put, he noted, leaders need to step up and work together to solve today’s global challenges.
''Yet World Refugee Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the fortitude of refugees. Those who have been stripped of everything and yet carry on, often bearing the visible and invisible wounds of war, persecution, and the anxiety of exile,'' he added.
Also read: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Tahsan visits Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps
''Over the past several months, a time dominated by the pandemic, we have seen that refugees – while needing, deserving, and having the right to international protection, safety, and support – also give back to each other and to their host communities.'' ''When given the chance, they have run to the front lines of the COVID-19 response as doctors, nurses, cleaners, aid workers, care givers, shopkeepers, educators, and many other roles, providing essential services as we collectively battled the virus. We have seen them and their hosts selflessly share meagre resources and help lift those in the greatest of need,'' he further added.
Also read: Myanmar refugee crisis brewing as turmoil hits economy
''Next month, we will see them in another arena demonstrating what can be achieved if included in society and given the same opportunities as the rest of us: refugee athletes will approach the starting line as they compete with the world’s best in the Tokyo Olympics,'' he continued.
''So on World Refugee Day, as we pause to express solidarity with refugees in our communities and around the world, I hope each of us will also acknowledge and admire the drive, determination, and contributions made by people forced to flee. My colleagues and I have the privilege of witnessing their tenacity and achievement every day, which - especially today – should be a source of inspiration for everyone, everywhere,'' he concluded.
Also read: Fleeing coup, Myanmar refugees in India seek asylum
World Refugee Day is observed every year on June 20 to respect and honour the courage and resilience of refugees across the world. The unprecedented and prolonged coronavirus pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of refugees who hardly have any resources to fight the health and economic crisis.
This year's World Refugee Day theme - together we heal, learn and shine - aims at people belonging to all faiths, all over the world, working together to welcome stateless persons, displaced people, refugees and others who have been forced to flee their homes.
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Tahsan visits Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador Tahsan Khan Sunday visited Cox's Bazar and met with Rohingyas to learn about their experiences on World Refugee Day.
The theme of this year's World Refugee Day is "together we heal, learn and shine." During Tahsan's visit to the Rohingya camps, he also met with Rohingya musicians and filmmakers and performed a song with them.
"These young filmmakers from Omar's Film School and these talented Rohingya musicians are doing incredible work to shine a light on the Rohingya culture and heritage through music, photography and film. They are also working tirelessly to raise awareness about Covid-19 and other health messages," said Tahsan.
Also read: Bhasan Char much better than Cox’s Bazar camps: UNHCR
Govt. urges international community to do more for Rohingyas
The government on Sunday called on the international organisations including the UNHCR to be more active to ensure all inhabitable arrangements and fundamental rights for the Rohingya people forcibly displaced from Myanmar.
Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus made the call at a meeting with Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Heads of delegations of various international organizations held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Dr Ahmad Kaikaus presided over the meeting that was convened to discuss the issue of Rohingya issue, deputy press secretary to the Prime Minister KM Shakhawat Moon said.
The meeting was informed that the government has taken initiative to shift more 80,000 Rohingyas staying at various camps in Cox’s Bazar to Bhashanchar within the shortest possible time.
READ: 2 Rohingyas killed in landslide at Rohingya camps
In this regard, the meeting was also informed that more than 18,000 Rohingyas have already been taken to Bhashanchar, while process are on to shift more Rohingyas soon.
At the meeting, the principal secretary said that the government is doing everything possible to ensure all basic needs of the Rohingyas including better liveable places for them.
PMO Secretary Tofazzal Hossain Miah and Secretaries concerned attended the meeting.
READ: NUG must appoint an ethnic Rohingya envoy to implement new policy: Fortify Rights
Besides, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of various countries including USA, UK, Japan, Australia, France, Canada and the Netherlands as well as Heads of delegations of international organisations like European Union and UNHCR joined the meeting.
Voluntary Rohingya repatriation in short term looks more challenging: UN
The United Nations has urged the international community to step up and share responsibility, noting that recent developments in Myanmar make the prospects of voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar in the short term more challenging.
"The responsibility for the current Rohingya refugee situation in Bangladesh rests with Myanmar, and that’s where the solution lies," said the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, at the conclusion of its two senior officials four-day visit to Bangladesh.
UNHCR Assistant High Commissioners for Protection and for Operations -- Gillian Triggs and Raouf Mazou -- wrapped up their visit on Wednesday and called for international support and solidarity with Rohingya refugees and Bangladesh.
UNHCR called on the international community, including through the recently launched 2021 Joint Response Plan, to continue to support the government of Bangladesh who have taken on a huge responsibility in hosting almost 1 million Rohingya refugees in the largest refugee camp in the world. "This must not become a forgotten crisis."
"While Bangladesh has shown humanity and solidarity, in line with the guiding principles of the Global Compact on Refugees, the international community must step up and give practical effect to the obligation to share responsibility, and to protect refugees and support the host Bangladeshi Government,” said Triggs.
Throughout the visit, the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioners reiterated their sincere appreciation to the government and the people of Bangladesh for their humanitarian spirit and generous hospitality towards Rohingya refugees as they sought protection from violence and persecution in Myanmar over decades.
Read:UNHCR seeks adequate medical assistance for Rohingyas affected in Bhasan Char
Bhasan Char much better than Cox’s Bazar camps: UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, on Wednesday cleared its position regarding protection and assistance towards Rohingyas both in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, saying that they will continue to be present in various places around the country indicating the inclusion of Bhasan Char.
“The government has made a very important investment in Bhasan Char. Bhasan Char is a much better (place than Cox’s Bazar camps),” Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, told reporters after their meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen here.
Read:UNHCR seeks vaccinations for refugees in Asia, including Rohingyas
He said they are with the government of Bangladesh and they always work with the government. “We’re present in Cox’s Bazar. We’ll continue to be present in various places around the country and will work with the government to ensure assistance to refugees.”
Raouf said anybody may feel isolated in Bhasan Char but they must have economic activities apart from education and healthcare facilities.
Gillian Triggs, the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, said they are here to work and support the government in ensuring the protection of these Rohingyas.
Read:Fully cooperating with ICJ to “ensure justice” for Rohingyas: NUG
UNHCR seeks vaccinations for refugees in Asia, including Rohingyas
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has sought stronger global support for refugee vaccinations in Asia, including Rohingyas who are living in Bangladesh.
In Cox’s Bazar, where almost 900,000 Rohingyas are living in the single largest and most densely populated cluster of refugee camps in the world, the number of cases has increased considerably in the last two months, said the UN agency.
As of May 31, there have been over 1,188 cases confirmed among the refugee population, with more than half of these cases recorded in May alone, UNHCR said.
“Some refugees, including in Nepal, have already received their first vaccine dose with COVAX-provided supplies. Among the Rohingya refugees in the camps in Bangladesh, not a single vaccine has been administered yet given the scarcity of supplies in the country,” said UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic in a regular briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
READ: UNHCR seeks adequate medical assistance for Rohingyas affected in Bhasan Char
The current delays in vaccine shipments, brought about by limited supplies to COVAX, mean that some of the world’s most vulnerable people remain susceptible to the virus, said the spokesperson.
With COVID-19 raging in many parts of the world, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning about shortages of vaccines in the Asia-Pacific region, including for refugees and asylum-seekers.
"We urge immediate and stronger support for the COVAX initiative, a worldwide effort aimed at achieving equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. This is critical to save lives and curb the impact of the virus, particularly in developing nations.
These countries host the vast majority of more than 80 million forcibly displaced people in the world. Yet so far, they have benefited from only a fraction of the world’s COVID-19 vaccines," said the UNHCR spokesperson.
UNHCR stressed that no one can be left behind in the global effort against the coronavirus.
The pandemic will be defeated only when vaccinations become available everywhere on an equitable basis, it said.
"We are particularly worried about the situation in the Asia and Pacific region, which in the past two months has experienced the largest increase in the number of cases globally. Over this period, there have been some 38 million recorded COVID-19 cases and more than half a million deaths," said the UNHCR spokesperson.
READ: UNHCR's joint response plan to be launched Tuesday
The fragile health systems in many countries in this region have struggled to cope with this recent surge.
The lack of hospital beds, oxygen supplies, limited intensive care unit (ICU) capacities and scarce health facilities and services have worsened outcomes for those infected with COVID-19, particularly in India and Nepal.
The highly infectious variant of the virus which first emerged in India threatens to rapidly spread in the sub-region, including among refugee populations.
"Refugees remain especially vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. Overcrowded settings, coupled with limited water and sanitation facilities, can contribute to increased infection rates and an exponential spread of the virus," said the UNHCR spokesperson.
UNHCR said it is adding its voice to the calls for countries with surplus doses to donate to COVAX, and for manufacturers to boost supplies to the COVAX facility.
UNHCR’s total financial requirements for COVID include $455m in supplementary needs and $469m in COVID-related activities that are included in its regular budget.
To date, including projected contributions, UNHCR has received $252.8m or 27% of these requirements.