Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
• Cyclone preparedness remains the top priority. Shelter upgrades continue, with 169,866 households suppoted with tie-down kits (80% of target) that allow shelters to resist winds up to 40 km/hr. 3,400 households have received mid-term and transitional shelters (5% of target) which can resist wind speeds of 50 and 80+ km/hr, respectively. As of 7 October 2018, 44,144 refugees have been relocated within camps or into new sites, including for Landslide/flood risk mitigation, infrastructure work as well as new arrivals; 26,380 of these were due to heightened landslide risks.
• Ambassadors and senior representatives from 14 diplomatic missions visited the camps on 8-9 October to meet with refugees and local counterparts from the Government, NGOs and UN agencies, as well as to see first-hand a variety of service facilities and land stabilization activities. ISCG organized the visit to highlight the need for additional resources and continued advocacy.
• Weather-related hazards during October and November are expected to increase protection risks for refugees, especially for those with particular vulnerabilities (e.g. children and adolescents, elderly, and those with disabilities). Short-term family separation may occur as families evacuate flooded or destroyed houses.
• Over 16,000 persons have been verified through the Government of Bangladesh and UNHCR joint verification exercise, as of 8 October. The verification site moved to the main Teknaf highway on 30 September. This easily accessible site will be utilized for the verification of refugees living in Camps 24, 25, 26 and 27.
• Sizable funding gaps persist—with troubling consequences for multiple lifesaving Sectors. For example, Protection activities are 37% funded. This gap directly restricts access to and quality of case management services for those at heightened protection risks, quick impact projects in host communities, and support to government protection services.
• A joint Health/WASH Sector team was rapidly mobilized to investigate two suspected AWD cases and preventive interventions were implemented in the surrounding areas. The routine immunization program is being strengthened to ensure vaccination of all children under the age of two and all pregnant women.
• Catchment areas for nutrition facilities are being defined to improve camp-level coordination and reduce duplication.