Rohingya camps to have limited service from aid agencies

Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh. File Photo: Reuters

As part of the measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, the government has taken several steps including limiting the activities of various agencies in the Rohingya camps at Cox’s Bazar. These activities at the camps were limited in the last week of March and have been further limited after another meeting in Cox’s Bazar on Friday.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) sources on Friday informed Prothom Alo that till further notice, other than medical aid, nutrition, safety, emergency food, water and sewerage, all programmes will remained halted at the Ukhia and Teknaf camps.

There had reportedly been dissatisfaction at a top level in the government as the nationwide holiday to restrict the spread of coronavirus was not being followed in Cox’s Bazar. The local administration there has now been instructed to enforce stricter action to restrict movement in the Rohingya camps.

All local and foreign agencies in Cox’s Bazar working with the camps were instructed on Friday to submit a list of their personnel and vehicles to the RRRC office within Saturday. On Sunday the authorities will check the list against the persons and vehicles going to the camps.

A senior government official in Cox’s Bazar, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that around 20,000 local and foreign workers were registered with the RRRC office to work at the Rohingya camps. At a meeting in Cox’s Bazar on Friday, the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) said that in these changed circumstances, now 5000 workers would work in the camps. These included 2800 health official and workers.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about the Rohingya refugee camp programmes, foreign secretary and chair of the national taskforce for Rohingya affairs, Masud Bin Momen, said that at the last meeting of the task force, stress had been laid on healthcare, due to the prevailing coronavirus situation. Special measures were being taken about healthcare service in the Rohingya camps. Other than essential services, activities in the Rohingya can were to be cut down, it had been decided.

Foreign ministry officials said that directives had also been issued to ensure no new Rohingyas entered the camps from Myanmar.

From 24 March, all schools, madrasas and other educational institutions in the camps had been closed. However, the multipurpose centres run by women were being used to raise awareness regarding COVID-19.

In the meantime, work has been completed on a lab in Cox’s Bazar to test for coronavirus and will begin functioning from today, Saturday.