Lack of funding is compromising the essential services and the health and well-being of both the Rohingya and host community population, the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), which coordinates the humanitarian activities of the United Nations agencies and local and international NGOs, said on Wednesday.
Funding to sustain vital activities being carried by the humanitarian organizations is crucial, it said, adding that to date, 27% of the $877 million joint response plan for 2020 has been funded.
In the wake of the first confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Rohingya refugee camps in mid-May and amidst efforts to reduce the humanitarian footprint in the camps, more than 3,000 Rohingya refugee and Bangladeshi volunteers are playing an increasingly critical role as first responders in the humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar district, said the ISCG.
Since the beginning of the pandemic emergency, humanitarian partners including community-based organizations have trained volunteers on key Covid-19 prevention and response actions. Volunteers have learned about hand washing, respiratory hygiene, physical distancing, seeking care, infection prevention and control and the early warning alert and response system, among other vital information. Thousands of volunteers are now working to disseminate lifesaving Covid-19 messages in Rohingya, Burmese and Bengali languages across all 34 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, and adjacent Bangladeshi communities.
Volunteers are also engaged in the cleaning and disinfection of communal areas and neighbourhoods and providing support to the 60 information service centres and 24 help desks in the camps and host community that are responding daily to Covid-19 queries, sharing information, as well as receiving feedback to improve services. Furthermore, female volunteers on the frontline are sharing Gender Based Violence prevention and referral messages to mitigate the increased risk of domestic violence and abuse and connecting women and girls to safe spaces.
With the number of confirmed cases in the camps and the wider district increasing, now more than ever, the volunteers are at the centre of the response and at the forefront of Covid-19 preparedness and response efforts.