ReliefWeb

Crisis overview

As of 5 November, some 609,000 people have fled northern Rakhine state in Myanmar to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh following an eruption of violence on 25 August. A large number have likely also been internally displaced within Rakhine state, but data is not available on this. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an insurgent group, launched multiple attacks on government posts in Rakhine state, to which the Myanmar military responded with heavy force. However, it has been reported that military clearance operations targeting Rohingya may have begun prior to the ARSA attack (OHCHR 11/10/2017). There are high levels of need among Rohingya both in Cox’s Bazar and also likely among IDPs in northern Rakhine. Rohingya in central Rakhine have also been affected to a lesser extent.

Humanitarian constraints

In Rakhine, access has been severely limited for humanitarian agencies during the crisis due to government restrictions, with many agencies forced to suspend their operations. It has opened up slightly as of the last week of October, a possibly positive indicator for improved access in the coming months. Physical access is difficult in some areas of Cox’s Bazar and there are multiple administrative hurdles for INGOs.

Key findings

Anticipated scope and scale

Movement of Rohingya to Bangladesh is continuing at a rate of about 1,000 people per day. However, the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently agreed to cooperate on the repatriation of Rohingya and to halt the cross-border movement. This will likely decrease the outflow but repatriation is likely to take some time as the agreement did not set out any specifications about the return process.

Rohingya in northern Rakhine will continue to experience cross-sectoral needs in the coming months as infrastructure, crops, and farms have been destroyed and movement restrictions have intensified for Rohingya. In Cox’s Bazar, government and humanitarian response is struggling to cope with the huge influx and a potential public health crisis remains a key concern. Accounts of segregation measures and aid disruptions in central Rakhine by local communities raise concerns over a possible spread of the violence.

Key priorities

• WASH: This is the highest priority in Bangladesh as the risk of communicable disease outbreak remains high due to inadequate facilities and a lack of fecal sludge management.

• Food security: Lack of access to food is an increasing concern in northern Rakhine state. Restrictions on movement, closure of food markets, and aid restrictions are all driving food insecurity.

• Protection: In Rakhine, continued prejudice against Rohingy aexposes them to intimidation and violence, while in Cox’s Baza rsexual and gender-based violence as well as trafficking are the main concerns.