24 April 2020, NIICE Commentary 4227
Dr. Mohammad Tarikul Islam
Among the Rohingya refugee population of Bangladesh, so far there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19. Rohingyas and the host communities in Cox’s Bazar are among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the area is densely populated. More than a million people reside in 34 refugee camps, where four to five of them stay in a single makeshift room made of tarpaulin sheets and bamboo sticks. Most of them sleep on plastic paper spread on the muddy floor in the tents. They don’t have much of a choice to consider their cleanliness or take precautions that may be necessary to battle the Coronavirus. Children play on the sloppy grounds the whole day, and return to the tents at night, messy. Then again, the mother can’t clean their children appropriately, generally due to the lack of water. This brief commentary looks at the level of preparation that has been taken so far to combat COVID-19 in the Rohingya Refugees camps of Bangladesh.
Influx of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is now host to around one million Rohingya refugees and this highlights a serious concern of human security in the country. The Myanmar government has been very reluctant to take back their nationals, the Rohingyas, despite the robust diplomatic endeavours of Bangladesh government regarding repatriation. Providing basic provisions of life like food, shelter, and healthcare have been the utmost priorities at the moment, and for the rest of the period until the return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar. Rohingya refugees are also at a serious risk of human trafficking. The lack of livelihood opportunities is an evolving challenge in the makeshift land where the refugees live. There is also great likelihood for the happening of incidences that may aggravate the local social and cultural harmony among the Rohingya refugee societies.
The Rohingya influx has set an exceptional economic burden on the host nation. Impacts have been particularly related to a fall in daily wages of the labourers, and adverse consequences for public services and the environment. Refugees are not legally entitled to work in Bangladesh. The Rohingyas are an ethnic minority group in Myanmar who have, due to persecution, crossed into the neighbouring Bangladesh over decades, laying uneven pressure on the scarce resources of the country. The Rohingya issue has been a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, navigated by the civil-military administration of Myanmar. The influx of Rohingya refugees has continued in Bangladesh since the 1970s, and their number have surpassed over 700,000 as of today. The rehabilitation of the Rohingyas to their homeland will be ambiguous in the coming days and at the same time, their stay in Bangladesh, however full of vagaries, might be continuing for a longer period of time.
COVID-19 and State of Preparedness in Rohingya Camps
Like in the past, the Bangladesh government has kept its efforts to continue to encourage other governments to stay engaged in addressing the pressing needs of these refugees – needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved. As part of an effort to prevent the Coronavirus outbreak, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the concerned authorities in late March 2020 to restrict the entry of outsiders in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. One must understand that if the Coronavirus spreads out in the Rohingya camps, it will be dangerous, and will turn it into a big loss for Bangladesh as the Rohingya people are a major concern for the country. Hence, only government officials and authorised personnel have entry there.
Accordingly, in consultation with the United Nation and other humanitarian partners, the concerned authorities have introduced restrictions on activities in the camps. On 8 April, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) gave an order further confining exercises to just conduction of basic administration and help, in the camps. These programs are conducted in the zones of wellbeing, sustenance, nourishment and fuel dispersion, cleanliness advancement, cleanliness unit conveyance, water and sanitation exercises, development of wellbeing offices and extra WASH foundation, fixing the board backing, coordinations, the ID and isolation of fresh introductions, and family following.
To address the risks of a potential outbreak of Coronavirus in the camps, the Government of Bangladesh, together with UNHCR and partners, has ensured the inclusion of Rohingya refugees in its national response program. UNHCR and other partner organisations have launched programs for construction of isolation and treatment facilities, intending to ensure the availability of 1,900 beds to serve both refugees and host communities. Information-sharing has been expanded through a network of more than 2,000 community volunteers, religious leaders and humanitarian workers.
To understand the needs of the Rohingyas as well as the preventive measures required in the wake of COVID-19, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Representatives conducted a joint mission in Cox’s Bazar from 4-7 April 2020. Meetings were held with RRRC,Bangladesh Army, as well as the UN and NGO partners in Cox’s Bazar. It was found that the 2020 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis sought some USD 877 million to meet the most critical needs of the community, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Recognising the risks that the COVID-19 outbreak could pose to the Rohingya refugee camps, IOM continues to coordinate with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Civil Surgeon Office and the World Bank in Bangladesh to support government isolation centres at Chakaria and Ramu Upazilas in Cox’s Bazar. At the request of the local authorities, two ambulances have been assigned to support the referral of COVID-19 cases from the camps. To mitigate impact on the camps, the construction of two isolation and treatment centres with a 100-bed capacity each at Leda (Camp 24) and the greater Kutupalong Balukhali Extension (KBE) is ongoing. Four Primary Healthcare Centres have been readied to offer temporary isolation support for potential COVID-19 cases within the camps. Necessary renovations and procurement processes are underway to scale-up the isolation bed capacity within each centre. IOM is working with community leaders in the camps to encourage behavioural changes in line with the guidance provided by Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS, Bangladesh). In addition, IOM teams in Protection, Site Management and WASH have also conducted several awareness-creating measures that have reached to more than 300,000 beneficiaries.
Way Forward
Amidst the worldwide wellbeing emergency caused by COVID-19, we all must be protected by food and shelter. We should bend over backwards to guarantee that the conceivable spread of the infection doesn’t take place among the displaced Rohingya people in Bangladesh. UNHCR is asking the world to remain in solidarity with outcasts and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). While the COVID-19 avoidance and readiness work continues, it is likewise dire to concentrate on the forthcoming twister and rainstorm seasons. We should take extra measures to prevent the spread of the disease especially in such a season. While it is imperative to organise general wellbeing-related arrangements in the camps right now, tornado and rainstorm readiness exercises should proceed as well.
We should not forget the persistent endeavour of the Bangladesh government in seeking the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. In reality, it is highly unlikely that the Bangladesh government will succeed in sending the refugees back to Myanmar in a shortest possible time. It can be suggested that the UN Security Council brings the resolution to facilitate investigation on the violation of human rights by Myanmar and thus, ensure an international supervision for safe repatriation of the Rohingyas, and initiate a visit to the Rohingya refugee camps to propel the government of Myanmar for setting up “safe zones” for people of all backgrounds in conflict-torn parts of their country, as proposed by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
