Attachments
KEY UPDATES
● 2024 JOINT RESPONSE PLAN (JRP): As of 31 August, the 2024 JRP was 40 per cent funded, with USD 339.4 million received against an appeal of USD 852.4 million, according to the FTS tracker. The 2024 JRP requests continued support for one million Rohingya refugees, who depend on humanitarian assistance, and for more than 400,000 host community members. As the conflict in Myanmar continues to escalate, international solidarity with Bangladesh and support for refugee protection is urgently needed. In 2023, the JRP was 66 per cent funded with USD 578 million received against an overall appeal of USD 876 million. Read more.
● SEVENTH YEAR MARK: As August marked the seventh anniversary of the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, UNHCR called for sustained commitment from the international community and renewed efforts to develop comprehensive solutions to end their plight at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Read the briefing note.
● UPDATE ON POLITICAL UNREST: On 5 August, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, concluding a month of tumultuous student-led protests that had paralyzed the country. Several days of violence, including acts of looting, arson and revenge-taking, followed, with many incidents targeting people and places associated with Hasina’s political party, including police stations and officers for their role in firing on unarmed protestors. The violence was exacerbated by a nationwide police walkout, including Armed Police Battalion (APBn) forces stationed in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps. On 8 August, an interim government was sworn in with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus as Chief Advisor. On 10 August, police began a gradual return to their posts, though the security situation remains fluid. The Bangladesh Army has stepped in to maintain law and order. UNHCR continues to carefully monitor the situation to ensure safety of staff, volunteers and refugees, as well as the community’s access to essential services. By the end of August, regular field missions had resumed, with all camp activities fully operational.
● CAMP SECURITY: In August, the security situation in Cox's Bazar camps deteriorated significantly, partly linked to the absence of law enforcement and camp administration agencies in the camps due to nationwide civil unrest and political change. Serious protection incidents were reported in several camps including an increase in shootings and the suspected use of firearms, killings, child recruitment and child abductions.
● VOLUNTEER & SKILLS DATA: The fifth round of volunteer and skills development data was submitted to the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), which included 106,697 individuals: 43,836 volunteers and 62,861 participants in skills development activities. In line with guidelines on engagement of the host community, about 27 per cent of the volunteers are Bangladeshi nationals, most of whom are engaged in skilled employment in the education, health, livelihoods, and skills development sectors.
● COMPLAINTS & FEEDBACK: In August, UNHCR recorded 21,655 requests for interventions by refugees through the Centralized Automated Information Processing Platform (CAIPP), of which 6 per cent were protection-related. All requests are automatically forwarded to the relevant units for action and follow-up.