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Highlights
• The humanitarian situation for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh remains dire, with some 625,000 refugees newly arrived since 25 August 2017. At least 58% of them are children. Thousands of refugees continue to arrive every week, even though we are experiencing slowdown in the past couple of weeks, adding the pressure on the heavily stretched resources on the ground.
• The Nutrition Action Week was launched on 15 November to increase treatment and prevention of malnutrition has so far reached 156,205 children aged 6-59 months with Vitamin A (88 per cent of target); 104,048 children (88 per cent of target) aged 24-59 months with de-worming tablets; and 164,679 children (93 per cent of target) with malnutrition screening; and referred over 4,076 children with SAM to treatment.
• Between 6 September and 18 November, a total of 1,714 suspected cases of measles were reported including two related deaths. The UNICEF supported measles-rubella campaign has reached 325,457 children (97% of the target). The campaign has been extended for another three days to ensure that the remaining children are vaccinated
• UNICEF has trained 70 social workers on case management for vulnerable children including unaccompanied and separated children.
• UNICEF is grateful for funding support from resource partners received to date and is urgently appealing for additional funds to address the critical humanitarian needs of vulnerable children and their families.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
720,000 Children in need of humanitarian assistance
1.2 million People in need
(HRP 2017-18)
362,500 Children (arrived since 25 August) in need of humanitarian assistance.
The figure is based on ISCG SitRep 30 November 2017. The number is increasing every week.
625,000 New arrivals since 25 August
(ISCG SitRep, as of 30 November 2017)
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The influx of Rohingya refugees from northern parts of Myanmar’s Rakhine State into Bangladesh restarted following attacks at Myanmar Border Guard Police posts on 25 August 2017. As of 30 November, the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) reported that 625,0001 Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh since the attacks. According to ISCG’s rapid needs assessment, 58 per cent of new arrivals are children and 60 per cent are women including a high number of pregnant (3 per cent) and lactating women (7 per cent). With the new influx, the current total number of Rohingya who have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh, coupled with the affected population in the communities, has reached a staggering 1.2 million2. There are 720,000 children among the new arrivals, existing Rohingya populations and vulnerable host communities who are affected and need urgent humanitarian assistance including critical life-saving interventions.
The inter-agency Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2017-18 identified the areas of WASH, health, nutrition and food security and shelter for immediate scale-up to save lives in both settlements and host communities. As per the HRP, the Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar is highly vulnerable, many having experienced severe trauma, and are now living in extremely difficult conditions. The limited WASH facilities in the refugee established settlements, put in place by WASH sector partners including UNICEF prior to the current influx, are over-stretched, with an average of 100 people per latrine. New arrivals also have limited access to bathing facilities, especially women, and urgently require WASH supplies including soap and buckets. Given the current population density and poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, any outbreak of cholera or Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD), which are endemic in Bangladesh, could kill thousands of people residing in temporary settlements. Urgent nutrition needs have been prioritized for children aged under five (including infants), pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls. These include close to 17,000 children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) to be supported over the next six months. Nutrition sector partners plan to cover 70 per cent of the identified needs in the makeshift and new settlements, host communities and official camps. Moreover, children, adolescents and women in both the Rohingya and host communities are exposed to high levels of violence, abuse and exploitation including sexual harassment, child labour and child marriage and are at high risk of being trafficked. Finally, more than 450,000 total Rohingya children aged 4-18 years old are in need of education services.