Situation Report: Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Cox’s Bazar | 19 November 2017

This report is produced by ISCG in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers 10 November until 17 November, 2017. The next report
will be issued on 26 November.
Highlights
• 621,000 new arrivals are reported as of 18
November, per IOM Needs and Population
Monitoring.
• Since the last situation report on 12 November,
there have been 5,500 new arrivals.
• As of 18 November, the Bangladeshi Immigration
and Passports Department has registered
563,350 people through biometric registration.
• The Armed Forces Division (AFD) has completed
the first stage (soil work) of 6.32 of the 22KM
road (noted on the map in red) throughout the
mega camp. They have also completed 515
metres of brick work including two small bridges.
• The Rural Electricity Board (REB) is currently
working on the installation of 17 new light
fixtures.

621,000 340,000 235,000 46,000

Cumulative arrivals Arrivals in Kutupalong Arrivals in other Arrivals in host
since 25 Aug Expansion Site1 settlements and communities
camps

Situation Overview
• Violence in Rakhine State which began on 25 August 2017 has driven an estimated 621,000 Rohingya
across the border into Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The speed and scale of the influx has resulted in a
critical humanitarian emergency. The people who have arrived in Bangladesh since 25 August came
with very few possessions. They have used most their savings on transportation and constructing a
shelter, often out of no more than bamboo and thin plastic. They are now reliant on humanitarian
assistance for food, and other life-saving needs. Basic services that were available prior to the influx
are under severe strain due to the massive increase in people in the area. In some of the sites that
have spontaneously emerged, water and sanitation facilities are limited or of poor quality, with
extremely high density raising the risks of an outbreak of disease. The Rohingya population in Cox’s
Bazar is highly vulnerable, having fled conflict and experienced severe trauma, and now living in
extremely difficult conditions.
• Population movements within Cox’s Bazar remain highly fluid, with increasing concentration in Ukhia,
where the Government has allocated 3,000 acres for a new camp. People have begun arriving at the
new, proposed site before infrastructure and services can be established. Crucially there is limited
access to the site and no roads through this site; this is preventing the development of infrastructure
including water and sanitation facilities.
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |2

Rohingya refugees reported by location

Population before Total Refugee
Location 25 Aug Post-25 Aug Influx Population
Makeshift Settlement / Refugee Camps
Kutupalong-Balukhali Expansion1 99,705 339,918 439,623
Kutupalong RC 13,901 11,842 25,743
Leda MS 14,240 9,786 24,026
Nayapara RC 19,230 15,327 34,557
Shamlapour 8,433 17,893 26,326
New Spontaneous Settlements
Hakimpara 140 55,041 55,181
Thangkhali 100 29,604 29,704
Unchiprang - 30,384 30,384
Jamtoli 72 33,226 33,298
Moynarghona 50 21,414 21,464
Chakmarkul - 10,500 10,500

Host Community
Cox's Bazar Sadar 12,485 1,683 14,168
Ramu 1,600 830 2,430
Teknaf 34,437 34,075 68,512
Ukhia 8,125 9,543 17,668
TOTAL Rohingya 212,518 621,066 833,584

Methodology for
Population Tracking

Figures are sourced from site

assessment Needs and
Population Monitoring,
triangulated estimates based
on the observation of key
informants: the new arrivals
have not been verified at
household level. These site
assessments are accompanied
by a daily flow monitoring,
which records the number of
inflow and outflows at the
major displacement sites.

1Kutupalong-Balukhali expansion settlement includes the estimated population residing in the existing Kutupalong and
Balukhali makeshift settlements, and their surrounding expansion zones.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |3

Humanitarian Response
Communicating with
Working Group
Communities Coordinator Virginia Moncrieff cxb.cwcwg@gmail.com

Activities:

• Translators without Borders delivered an assessment done in

October/November of language preferences and use by Rohingya
refugees. The assessment was done through focus group discussions,
key informant interviews and comprehension surveys. Among other
findings, Burmese was typically cited as the language the Rohingya
population is most likely to read. Further findings include that amongst
new arrivals, 17% of males and 6% of females could read and
understand basic text in Burmese. Comprehension was highest in male
populations between the ages of 18 and 38. There are there are 4
different scripts that attempt to capture the Rohingya language in
written form: Urdu, Arabic, Rohingyalish (Roman), and Hanifi. Around
10,000 children can read the Hanifi script. The full results can be found here.
• The Beggunor Lai “For Everyone” is a 25-minute call-in radio programme (supported by UNICEF and
BBC Media Action) is now being broadcast on two radio stations – Bangladesh Betar (100.8FM and
1314AM at 1:10pm every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) and Radio Naf (99.2FM at 10am
every Saturday, Monday and Wednesday). On the week starting the 12th November, the program
was on hygiene promotion.
• Radio Naf (supported by BBC Media Action and UNICEF) launched a new children’s radio
programme Gurapoiner Hasa (Children's Smile) broadcast at 10am on Sundays and Tuesdays. The
programme, has games, songs and fun with health and life messages included.
• The first edition of a weekly radio highlights package was launched, designed to be used in listening
groups, community centers, child-friendly spaces and other places where communities can gather
together. A downloadable audio file and topic-focused discussion guide (to help facilitators run
listening groups and capture feedback) is available each Tuesday from here.
• World Vision released an assessment on information needs and preferred methods of
communication. Through focus group discussions and key information interviews, World Vision
established that the provision of information should be oriented around community participation and
needs, with sector-specific feedback/complaint mechanism systems in all programming areas,
catering to needs of different target groups (men, women, boys, girls) to ensure better program
quality. People with special needs and vulnerabilities should also be taken into consideration.
• Nutrition Action Week is underway 13-19 November. BBC MA supported UNICEF in the
development of voice messages for mass awareness raising among Rohingya communities.

Sector Coordinator Saltanat Builasheva edusector.cxb@humanitarianresponse.info

Education Co-Lead Jacklin Rebeiro Jacklin.rebeiro@savethechildren.org

Sector Target indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 370,000 people

Estimated total number of people reached: 53,077
Due to better reporting from partners, some figures have been slightly adjusted
53,000+
Needs: Girls and boys
have access to
• 453,000 people in need of Education in Emergencies (EIE) assistance.
education
• Partners’ response is focusing on provision of early learning (4-5 years old)
and non-formal basic education (6-14 years). There are no targeted
education activities for children aged 15-18.
• Partners are not able to mainstream disability into the first phase of the education service provision.
• Existing learning centers require immediate improved access to water and sanitation facilities.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |4

Response:
• During the reporting period, 25 classrooms were built in camps ensuring
access to an additional 2,865 girls and boys this week.
• 6,790 children received education supplies in the reporting period.
• 50 teachers were trained and 0 new teachers were recruited in the reporting
period. Since 25th of August, 302 teachers have been recruited and trained.
• A partner outside HRP set up 13 classrooms reaching 972 children and 13
teachers have been recruited and trained.

Gaps & Constraints:

• Over 400,000 school age girls and boys still lack access to a safe and
protective learning environment.
• 428,868 children need education supplies.
• 5,182 more teachers are to be recruited.
• Partners are continuing to face challenges in finding spaces for learning centers.
• Partners have limited capacity to appoint zone focal points for education to improve coordination at
the field level.
• Current funding gap is estimated USD 20.5 million.

Coordination:
• During the reported week, Education sector members approved the standard design of learning
centers. The final requirements for materials for learning spaces are being finalized by the standards
working group.
• An emergency teacher training package (TICC) is currently with translators for converting into
Burmese and Bangla language.
• Discussions are ongoing on the content of the EiE Curriculum. Initial plans are for Psychosocial
support, Literacy Wellbeing in Emergencies and on emergent literacy and math.
• A Sector mapping exercise has been completed to identity gaps and overlaps in each of the zones.
• A joint visit by UNESCO and Global Partnership for Education was undertaken including field visits on
16 and 17 November 2017.
• A National Workshop on Curriculum Development was held in Dhaka on 15 – 16 November 217.
• Child Protection and Education sectors are discussing on joint needs assessment.

Sector
Michael Dirksen Michael.Dirksen@wfp.org
Emergency Coordinator
Telecommunications

Response:
• The Emergency Telecommunications Sector (ETS) convened its third
local ETS Working Group meeting, with various UN agencies, Non-
Government Organizations (NGOs) as well as International Humanitarian
Partnership (IHP) to identify existing and planned connectivity services for
humanitarian organizations.
• Results of the survey on Information and Communications (ICT) needs of
humanitarian organizations were presented. Due to low response rate and
contradicting outcomes, the survey will be revised and repeated.
• The ETS member, Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) assessed mobile
network coverage – the results were shared with the local ETS Working
Group.
• The ETS is establishing linkages with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to map their coverage and
assess whether demand for existing and planned humanitarian operation in Cox’s Bazar are met.
Similar details are being collected from local Internet Services Providers (ISPs).
• The ETS Services for Communities (S4C) advisor is conducting further analysis of connectivity usage,
affordability and constraints to access information through mobiles for affected population. The ETS

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |5

continues engaging with Communicating with Communities (CwC) Working Group, and presented
guidance note to set up complaints and feedback mechanism.

Gaps and Constraints:

• The ETS remains 0% funded – out of US$650,000 requested.
• As the geographical access and coverage of emergency response is expanding, the ETS foresees an
alarming gap to meet the needs of humanitarian responders in terms of voice and Internet
connectivity. The ETS is working closely with the government to obtain necessary permissions, yet
funding constraint remains a huge challenge to install and deliver ICT support and connectivity to
humanitarian responders.

Food Security Sector Coordinator Davide Rossi Davide.rossi@wfp.org

Sector Target indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 974,000 people

Total estimated people reached: 677,745
677,745
Needs:
ppl reached with
food assistance
• The entire population needs emergency food security assistance.
Response:
• Cumulative coverage for 2016 arrivals with food assistance: 68,495.
• The 5th round of GFD started on November 12th and will end on the 23rd;
WFP and 7 FS Sector members are involved, thus far, 85,659 HHs have
received food assistance.
• During the reporting period, 115 HHs reached by one-off emergency
distribution with dry food.
• During the reporting period, hot meals were distributed with a daily average
of 35,000 to the new arrivals.
• Since the start of the influx, 288,291 individuals have received fortified
biscuits.

Gaps & Constraints:

• Additional modalities of food to be considered for increasing the dietary diversity, kcal and nutritional
status.
• Targeted food distribution is needed, particularly for people with disabilities, elderly, children and
women.
• Refugees continue to move move, changing their location in search for better arrangements before
settling down. Some people are also being relocated.
• Additional distribution sites continue to be needed. As well as additional monitoring during
distributions and PDM are required.
• The distributions could be further improved with more porters, more volunteers to help for crowd
management, better communication with communities (many people are not sure about the date of
the distribution, the token, etc.).
• Accountability (complaint response mechanism, help desk, entitlements, etc.) has been
strengthened, however there is still scope for enhancement.

Coordination:
• Market price monitoring data collection round 3 has been completed.
• FSS REVA HHs assessment ongoing: enumerators are interviewing approximately 2,000 HHs.
• The 3 new distribution sites reported as being established are now operational. Bringing the total
distribution sites to 15.
• 24 partners are part of the FS Sector in Cox’s Bazar including UN agencies, NNGOs and INGOs.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |6

Sector David Wightwick wightwickd@who.int

Health Coordinator
ISCG Dhaka Dr. Mohiuddin Khan mhkhan@iom.int

Sector Target indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 1,167,000

people 665,409
Total estimated number of people reached: 665,409 ppl provided with
health care
Needs:
services
• Communicable disease risks remain high due to crowded living conditions,
inadequate water and sanitation (WASH) facilities and low vaccination
coverage present. As of 11 November, 611 suspected measles cases were reported by partners.
• Essential reproductive health/maternal, child and newborn health services, particularly obstetric
services, are inadequate due either to insufficient bed space or lack of
facilities in hard to reach areas. Admission rates for women with obstructed
labors are high and many patients are referred late. Sexual and reproductive
health needs of women in transit points are not being sufficiently addressed.
• Mental and psychosocial health needs are immense. Many Rohingya
refugees are reported to have been physically and mentally traumatized by
the violence, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
• Rates of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are running at 7.5% (well over the
emergency threshold). Local health care facilities and NGOs have limited
capacity to treat children with SAM with complications.

Response:
• A recommended package of minimum essential primary health services for
health posts and health care centers was finalized, approved by MoHFW and shared with all health
sector partners.
• An inter-agency mapping of all health and nutrition service providers in the camps was completed (8-
14 November). The information yielded has enabled the identification of gaps and health sector is
now supporting the process of reassigning health care facilities.
• MoHFW made a clear request to partners that mobile clinics/dispensaries should not operate without
registered medical doctors. Implementing partners have been asked to consolidate smaller
facilities/dispensaries to expand level of services provided.
• Polio, measles and tetanus immunization began on 11 November from static sites within the camps.
So far 719 children have been vaccinated against polio, 589 children against measles and 476
pregnant women against tetanus.
• Microplanning for a measles vaccination campaign has started, targeting 360,000 children (start
date:18 November).
• A 5th Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Bulletin was published this week.
• The first round of water quality surveillance was completed on 12 November. Just 35% of source and
7% of household samples were free from E. coli contamination. The analysis report was shared with
the WASH sector to inform actions to improve sanitary conditions and prevent the further
deterioration of drinking water quality.
• Numerous trainings are planned for next week including MHPSS, IYCFE, and AWD management.
• This week, 78 health care workers were trained on Helping Babies Breathe.
• A task force has been established to strategize on how to utilize and train traditional birth attendants
to address the low facility-based delivery rates.
• Critical NCD equipment was donated to Ukhia and Teknaf Health Complex.

Gaps & Constraints:

• Distribution of health facilities remains inequitable due to the limited land available, poor road access
and high densities of refugees in some areas.
• Lack of lighting and practical/safe transport means within the camps significantly constrain emergency
referrals to secondary or tertiary care.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |7

• Government facilities are under-resourced to meet the needs of the additional population and urgently
need support to expand bed capacity to ensure the needs of both the host community and refugee
populations are met.
• Quality of care is variable and difficult to monitor.
• Implementation of the minimum package of essential primary health services is constrained by
financial and human resource shortages and availability of space/land.
• The water quality situation remains inadequate which is a risk factor for diarrheal diseases.

Coordination:
• To address crucial health issues that require urgent attention, WHO, the MoHFW and selected health
partners have set up a Strategic Advisory Group (SAG). The group met for the first time on 14
November and will continue to meet on a weekly basis. The group will play an important advisory and
coordination role. MHPSS sub-group have designed a training calendar to coordinate trainings
between partner agencies.

Logistics Sector Coordinator Nikola Jovanovic Nikola.janovic@wfp.org

Storage:
• The Logistics Sector Hub in Ukhia has now 16 operational MSUs, out of the 16
planned (6400 m³ capacity). Three MSUs, located outside of the camp, have
been erected as additional support to the Government.
• 20 x 20” containers are on the way to the Logistics Sector Hub as a part of
cyclone preparedness contingency plan as well as also to expand available
cargo space for Logistics Sector partners.
• The Logistics Sector is currently facilitating access to storage for eight
organizations: Save the Children, UNICEF, Christian Aid, Solidarites
International, WFP, WaterAid, NGO Forum and IFRC
• The total storage usage is currently at 58% of available capacity.
• Atlas Logistique/ HI is planning to open additional hub (1 MSUs) in
Unchiprang, and offer additional service of transport to all partners on a free to user basis.

Capacity Building:
• The Logistics Sector has conducted two trainings, which were open to all interested humanitarian
organizations. In total, 29 participants attended the trainings from 15 different partner organizations.

Nutrition Sector
Henry Sebuliba hsebuliba@unicef.org
Coordinator

Sector Target as indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 470,300

people
Estimated total number of people reached: 130,408 10,584
Due to better reporting from partners, some figures have been adjusted. Children (6-59
Needs: months) with
severe acute
• An estimated 564,000 people need nutrition assistance of the new and
malnutrition (SAM)
previous arrivals and host community.
• 240,000 children need nutritional support
were identified and
• 120,000 Pregnant and Lactating Women need nutrition support. admitted to in- and
• 204,000 adolescent girls need nutritional support. out-patient
therapeutic feeding
centers.
Response:

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |8

• In the last week, 46,234 children under 5 were screened for acute malnutrition.
• Among them, 1,624 were identified as SAM and were admitted to in- and
outpatient settings for treatment (cumulative: 10,584).
• In addition, 389 children 6-59 months were identified as MAM and were
admitted to outpatient settings for treatment (cumulative: 7,877).
• 59 Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW) were identified as MAM and
were admitted to outpatient settings for treatment (cumulative: 550).

• 3,607 PLW received counseling on Infant and Young Child Feeding

(cumulative: 43,466).
• 12,127 children of 6-59 months received Vitamin A supplementation
(cumulative: 84,191).
• 3,428 PLW received Iron Folic Acid supplementation (Cumulative: 19,053).
• 423 adolescent girls received Iron Folic Acid supplementation (Cumulative:
2,751).
• 5,644 children of 6-59 months were admitted to Blanket supplementary feeding program (Cumulative:
9,660).
• 1,833 PLW were admitted to Blanket supplementary feeding program (Cumulative: 7,081).
• 1 Breast-milk Substitute (BMS) violations reported (cumulative: 12).

Gaps & Constraints:

• The total gap in nutrition is 450,972 people.
• Capacity building for nutrition partners to execute emergency nutrition interventions efficiently is
needed.
• Data quality constraints continue. Data verification has led to adjustment of some figures.

Coordination:
• Nutrition Action Week is taking place 15-22 November 2017. The main activities undertaken during
this action week is Vitamin A supplementation (6-59 months), deworming (24-59 months), screening
for acute malnutrition and referral to nutrition sites for admission.
• The Bangladesh State Minister of Health visited the action week activities as well as nutrition sites on
the ground. This was crucial orientation for him about Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), which
could be a strong foundation for advocacy to adopt the product as national protocol.
• IYCFE orientation sessions for nutrition and other sector partners is scheduled to take place from
17th to 21st November 2017 (half day sessions).

Sector Coordinator Blanche Tax tax@unhcr.org

Protection Tayba Sharif sharif@unhcr.org
Child Protection Mohaned Kaddam mkaddam@unicef.org
GBV Saba Zariv zariv@unfpa.org
Sector Target as indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 597,000 people
• For Child Protection: 185,000 people
• For GBV: 190,500 people

Needs:

• The total estimated people in need of protection interventions and activities include 926,500 estimated
number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh which includes: 33,000 registered refugees, 274,500
estimated unregistered refugees, prior to 2017, 620,000 estimated arrivals since 25 August 2017. The
protection sector is also counting 300,000 host community and planning for 270,000 people as
contingency.
• With continuing new arrivals, comprehensive, protection-sensitive reception systems need further
development to ensure proper reception of all refugees (including those with vulnerabilities and
specific needs), including the swift release of refugees arriving, provision of urgent assistance and
identifying specific needs, and transportation to the new camps. There is a lack of capacity of

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis |9

protection agencies and service providers to address protection risks and needs, especially in host
communities, villages and informal settlements. Targeted assistance to all persons with specific needs

• requires scaling up, including psychosocial First Aid (PFA),

• Psychosocial Support (PSS) and counseling services with a focus on the high 162,138
number of female single-head of households and separated children and families with
specialized service providers to manage 703,734
• complex cases including working with child survivors of sexual violence. individuals
• Basic infrastructure, including drinking water points, lighting, signposting, and
WASH facilities are still not available to many of the refugees, or facilities 70,395+
need improvement that can lead to protection needs, particularly for women ppl reached with
and girls. Mainstreaming of GBV risk mitigation and survivor support across GBV sub-sector
humanitarian sectors needs to be improved. assistance
• The over crowdedness of the camps exacerbates many risks and limit
humanitarian actors’ ability to provide comprehensive protection services, 76,900
including delivery points for GBV response and prevention programing. The
lack of space for communal structures limits actors to offer child friendly children reached
spaces or safe spaces for women and girls in locations that can be easily with psychosocial
accessed or forces them to resort to limited mobile services. There is an support
urgent need to allocate land for communal services that can be easily
accessed, also by children and other vulnerable groups.
• Long distribution pathways and a lack of signposting lead to heightened
risks for women, children, elderly, persons with disabilities and other
vulnerable refugees and increases the problem of children being used by
families to collect items.
• Information provision and dissemination (relating to all services and
sectors) needs further improvement, as do referral systems, including
specialized systems to connect survivors to appropriate multi-sectoral GBV
prevention and response services in a timely and safe manner. At least 11
of the 28 collective sites have no women and girl’s friendly spaces. This
concerns particularly the deeper new spontaneous sites/zones, where road
accessibility and access to services are limited.
• Unaccompanied and separated children continue to face many risks, including the risk of being
exposed to early marriage and child labor. The identification of unaccompanied and separated
children, as well as other children at risk, needs to scale up to refer them to and provide them with
appropriate support. Capacities for family tracing and the system for reunification must be
strengthened.

Response:
• Protection monitoring visits were undertaken to several southern border entry points in particular Noa
Para, Sabrang and Mog Para where interventions were made with the BGB for the release of the new
arrivals who were being held at the border. Despite these efforts, reports of refugees stranded there
continue, of which more than 50% children, sometimes sleeping under trees with limited access to
clean water and food for days.
• Following consultations between UN Agencies and partners, it was agreed that UNHCR will support
RRRC in facilitating the relocation of approx. 16,000 refugees stranded since more than two months
in four different locations between Bangladesh and Myanmar within the Bandarban district who have
expressed their wish to be moved to.
• The joint RRRC-UNHCR family counting exercise continued this week. The current figure reflects that
55% are children and 3% elderly. The results show the high proportion of vulnerabilities and specific
needs among the refugee population and are an important step towards harmonizing the provision of
assistance.
• After training 34 staff from 14 organizations on community assessments, consultations were held with
522 refugee women, men, children, youth, older persons and persons with disabilities living in
Nayapara makeshift, Kerontoli/Chakmarkul and Kutupalong (EE, BB and DD). The consultation
methodology was mostly focus group discussions and home visits.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

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 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 10

• The consultations served to identify main protection and assistance concerns in terms of their
priorities; the community’s coping mechanisms and their role in finding and suggesting solutions; and
understanding the group’s information needs and gaps – all from age, diversity and gender
mainstreaming angle.
• Issues identified for follow-up were broadly around ensuring adequate access to the most basic
services such as water, latrines, shelter/lights, chronic medication, education and information.
Exploitation by landowners and missing/detained family members (in Myanmar) were also reported in
some locations.
• As part of strengthening community engagement, 24 refugee women and men were identified as
community outreach members (COMs). The goal is to reach 219 COMs by the end of 2017. Their role
includes strengthening two-way communication, identifying persons at risk for referral to the needed
support, raising community concerns and implementing community driven solutions.
• A total of 4,594 men, women, boys, and girls received GBV service information through outreach and
awareness raising sessions conducted in this week. The main topics of the awareness raising
activities through WFS sessions and outreach activities include information on the available GBV
services, referral networks, the basics of GBV, SRHR and awareness on harmful practices including
early marriage and human trafficking.
• During the reporting period, 3,250 dignity kits were distributed. Thus far, a total of 19,924 dignity kits
were distributed to refugee women and girls,
• The SRSG on Sexual Violence in Conflict and an Advance Team from UN Action completed their
mission to Bangladesh. At a press conference held on 12 November 2017, the SRSG highlighted the
needs of Rohingya women and girls to access GBV services, noting a minimum of USD 10 million is
required in the next 3 months to provide basic humanitarian services to respond to and prevent GBV.
• Child protection actors reported reaching 76,900 children with psychosocial support since the
beginning of the crisis, and 5,884 adolescent boys and girls received life skills sessions this week.
• So far CP actors could identify 1,398 separated children and 1,194 unaccompanied children, raising
the total of the registered and documented children to 2,592 children.

Gaps & Constraints:

• Access to the territory and to essential services for stranded refugees remains a serious protection
concern. It has become increasingly difficult for new refugees to cross over to Bangladesh due to lack
of boats resulting from the ongoing ban imposed on fishermen and boat operators to get involved in
their transportation, thus pushing them to wait in dire conditions or to use dangerous makeshift rafts.
Visits to Shipur Dip revealed the need to improve the protection services there, including child
protection staff to help in registering and identifying Unaccompanied and separated children during
the initial registration conducted by the army, and to allow for follow-up by CP actors in the zone the
refugees were assigned to.
• Newly arrived refugees as well as those who have settled spontaneously in various out-of-camp
locations around Nayapara and in Shamlapour continue to be relocated by force to Kutupalong camp
and Balukhali by the authorities who have clearly stepped up efforts for the enforcement of the
government’s encampment policy.
• Lack of space continues to be an obstacle for the establishment of service facilities, including child
friendly spaces and safe spaces for women and other vulnerable refugees. Public space in collective
settlement is increasingly compromised by the proliferation of communal and congregational spaces
for men.
• The lack of space to open community structures and adapted services spaces also leads to important
protection impacts in the longer term including access to livelihoods and income.
• Efforts must be strengthened to scale up protection services at all levels and to set-up a proper case-
management and referral/follow-up mechanisms for protection cases. The technical capacity of many
of the workers need additional enhancement and advance training in technical areas such as case
management. Limited capacity is a main challenge in responding to GBV incidents and providing
support to survivors. The recruitment of qualified female staff remains a challenge and the turnover of
already recruited staff is also high due to the ongoing recruitment processes in all agencies.
• Lack of access to livelihood opportunities for refugees, and especially for women and girls are
increasing the risk of being forced into negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

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 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 11

• The lack of sufficient lighting in camps exacerbates protection risks and negatively affects the
refugee’s mobility, access to services and the sense of safety, especially for women and girls. The
lack of designated toilet or bathing facilities in spontaneous settlements has a severe impact on the
health and safety of women and girls.
• Increasing isolation and restricted mobility of women and girls limits their access to information,
including regarding life-saving GBV services.
• The prolonged registration process and FD7 is hindering the deployment of new actors as well as the
expansion of the existing partners into providing much needed protection services, including child
protection.

Coordination:
• The Protection Working Group presented at the Cash Working Group to present on principles of
Protection mainstreaming in cash based interventions and will continue with a joint training session for
interested members of both the Cash Working group and Protection actors.

Sector Coordinator Graham Eastmond sheltercxb.coord@gmail.com

Shelter/NFI Ratan Podder sheltercxb.coord1@gmail.com
Sector Target as indicated in humanitarian response plan: 948,000 people

Needs:
170,000+
HH received
• Targeted distributions are required to meet the needs of EVIs who did not emergency shelter
receive assistance in the initial blanket distributions. assistance since
• Shelter Upgrades and improved living conditions are the primary objectives of 25 August
the second phase of the response.
• Protection, health and other assessments are revealing that clothes
(including hats and socks) for newborn and small children are required
urgently with the onset of winter.
• Needs include kitchen sets, efficient cooking stoves and fuel.
• Decongestion efforts will support the sectors ability to provide better living
conditions.

Response:
• Sector agencies have commenced shelter upgrade distributions in
accordance with phase 2 objectives. To date, 115 HHs have received
shelter upgrade kits including tools.
• Over 197,000 acute emergency shelter kits (tarp(s) and rope) have been
distributed.
• 18,200 households have been reached with Emergency Shelter kits
including bamboo.
• Alternative fuel of compressed rice husks (10Kg per HH) has been distributed to over 12,000HHs.
• Additional NFI assistance for winter is on-going with partners distributing additional blankets, clothes
and sleeping mats.

Gaps & Constraints:

• Clothes (including hats and socks) for newborn and small children are required urgently with the onset
of winter.
• Sectors and communities are reporting that there are several vulnerable HHs which have not received
shelter and NFI inputs. This population will require targeted distributions.
• Clothes (culturally appropriate) in general required for all members of the population.
• Alternative fuels and fuel efficient stoves are urgently required. Many agencies are currently
investigating options and seeking funding.

Coordination:
Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 12

• Market assessment is on-going and preliminary results will be presented on 20 November in CXB
• A multi-agency Shelter/NFI Needs assessment will be carried out between 22 – 26 November with
preliminary results to be shared with the sector on 30 November.
• The Technical Working Group is meeting regularly and completed the specifications for the shelter
upgrade kit. IEC materials and training sessions are now being adapted to complement the kit.
• A joint effort by Site Management and S/NFI sectors is underway to develop site improvement
guidance.

Site Management Sector Coordinator Clementine Favier smcxb.coord@gmail.com

Sector Target indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 1,167,000 people

Estimated number of people reached: 255,000 through basic community and
leaders mapping as well as complaint and feedback mechanisms.
Needs:
• CiC deployment in only 10 of the 26 already populated areas of the
Kutupalong-Balukhali extension areas. None have been deployed to Teknaf
Upzaila sites aside from the pre-existing one in Nayapara.
• Urgent mitigation works needed to scale up and minimize risks such as
landslides and flooding as the natural flow of water in the 10km2 area has been
severely affected by the settlement.
• There are very low concentrations of actors in the sites south of the main site.
There is an extremely limited number of partners working in the south and in some host communities.
• There is an urgent need for land to decongest the main site as life is not sustainable at the current
concentration levels.
• There is a need for increased cooperation to ensure that new arrivals are not sent to the main site
without proper notification and planning. The transit center at Rubber Garden can be used to
temporarily receive refugees but can do so only if land and services are being prepared in parallel
which cannot be done with the continuous movements of persons. Organizations active on the
reception side advise persons to be received in existing sites in the south and to be transported
gradually and in an orderly fashion as per the established Standard Operating Procedure.
• Approximately half of the total targeted population is covered with site management assistance that
ensures their most basic need are identified and addressed given the scale and multitude of sites
including host community settings. Low funding also limits the full roll out of site management
activities in areas covered.

Response:
• There has been an agreement reached with RRRC that the main site should aim at minimal standards
of dignity, safety and protection. The benchmark set is to identify how many persons could live in the
usable portions of the allocated land starting with an indicator of 20m2 per person.

Site Management
• Many UN Agencies, NGOs and INGOs are taking up site management support functions in various
zones of the main site and in other sites. This is to ensure the minimal management functions of
monitoring service provision, identifying gaps in assistance, community engagement, coordination of
service providers at site level, identify and carry out urgent mitigation activities and promoting
protection and GBV mainstreaming as well as accountability to affected populations.

Assessment:
• NPM Round 7 data collection process has started and is expected to be completed by 28th
November.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 13

Site Planning/Site Improvement:

• Small scale site improvement work is on-going by engaging local volunteers both from host
communities and refugees.
The plans for roads and arteries in the western portion of the main site will be drawn for approval
from the relevant authorities.

Gaps & Constraints:

• More than half of displacement areas and sites require dedicated site management or coordination
either from supporting functions or from designated officials.
• Many organizations that have proven experience in camp management are still waiting for FD
clearance to carry out the functions of Site Management Support to the designated officials from
RRRC (CiC).
• The leadership networks in the camps are all male, creating barriers for the empowerment and
representation of the female population.
• Army – civilian (affected populations) interactions are often more positive when concerns are
channeled through site a management and community mobilization teams to solve issues. For
instance, on relocation due to earthworks.
• Land availability and access remains one of the most challenging aspects of site activities across all
sectors.
• Lack of adequate referral pathways and/or adequate referral services mostly caused to already
poorly staffed and funded social services that are overwhelmed with the new caseload.

Coordination:
• The technical working group (TWiG) on site improvement has been initiated on Tuesday 14
November, joint with the shelter technical working group, to look at localized site improvements
around the shelter plots, at zone level. These can include footpaths, stairs, footbridges, small
retention walls, terracing, etc. The TWiG will meet every Tuesday at 10:30. The agenda will be
agreed in collaboration with the Shelter-NFI sector. Next steps include the development of a catalog
of interventions and key messages to be shared with the communities.
• A macro-level planning group has been formed to develop a masterplan for the whole Balukhali and
Kutupalong Expansions, which will report to the Site Planning Taskforce chaired by RRRC. This
technical working group aims at considering major infrastructure and services, such as hospitals,
centralized markets, solid and water waste management, roads and bridges. The plans will be
coordinated with the different sectors.
• A technical working group focusing on Fire Prevention and Safety will be created and the first
meeting be held next week, to come up with urgent IEC and immediate activities to minimize the
risks of fire.

Naim Md.
wash-
Sector Coordinator Shafiullah
Water, Sanitation and cox@bd.missions-
Sector Co-Coordinator Zahid Mahmood
Hygiene acf.org
Durrani
zmdurrani@unicef.org
Sector Target as indicated in the humanitarian response plan: 750,000
people
Total estimated people reached: 595,663 595,663
ppl are provided
Needs: with WASH
• Based on the Humanitarian Response Plan the current target of the WASH
assistance
Sector is 1,166,000, out of which 853,309 are targeted for Water, 914,899 for
Sanitation and 1,166,000 for Hygiene.
• There is a continuous new influx of refugees resulting in the increase in population at multiple sites
which is overloading existing WASH facilities due to heavy use. In addition, new arrivals are in urgent
need of WASH NFI’s (jerrycans for storage/transportation of water).
• To reduce the public health risk, there are large number of nonfunctional latrines and tube wells need
to be decommission and repaired/relocated.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 14

• Reception areas near the crossing points close to border area have very limited safe water and
sanitation facilities. The new arrivals are receiving bottled water (1.5 liters) and sector partners have
provided mobile sanitation facilities.
• The existing public health conditions in the different camps and makeshift
settlements are currently unsatisfactory due to poor sanitation facilities,
poor water quality, space limitation and terrain, this combined with the
increased population, has greatly increased the risk of serious public
health hazards.
• As a part of AWD preparedness and response plans sector partners are
prepositioning contingency supplies which includes water purification
tablets, chlorine powder and NFI kit, in addition to continuing to meet
immediate needs for hygiene kits. WASH and health sector partners will
be jointly visiting different sites/camps to select appropriate locations for
setting up DTC/DTU’s.
Response:
• Collectively the sector has reported 4,877 tube wells are installed and out of which 3,389 are currently
functional (69%).
• For sanitation, 27,595 temporary emergency latrines have been built out of which 17,987 are
functional (65%).
• In coordination with several stakeholders, potential land for desludging have been preliminarily. At
least 6 partners have started the process of desludging and decommissioning of latrines.
• As part of decentralization of coordination, zone & site focal agencies are selected for all the zones
and will followed by desludging vs treatment responsibilities in near future.
• 86,878 hygiene kits/NFIs have been distributed in the major spontaneous sites, makeshift
settlements, and refugee camps as well as in some nearby host communities. The sector partners
started scaling up the hygiene promotion component of the response.
• To carry forward the Hydrogeological and Geophysical investigation several discussions are ongoing
with Institute Water Management and Dhaka University, which will lead to identify the potential water
aquifer to reduce the scarcity of ground water.
• WHO has mobilized 6 teams to carryout water quality testing of all the water points and at household
(HH) level and analysis of the results of the 1,959 samples indicated that contamination level at
household is around initial 62% (1218/1959). WASH sector is working on a strategy to improve water
quality at source and at HH level.
• In line with the ongoing response, pre-existing host community WASH intervention is also continued
by the partners.

Gaps & Constraints:

• There is a total estimated gap in immediate WASH services for 570,337 people.
• Funding remains one of the major constraint for the sector partners to scale up the response.
• Physical access within the new sites is a major concern in scaling up the WASH emergency
response. The Bangladesh Government with support of the military is working on the construction
roads to increase and link to various parts of the camps.
• With the on-going influx, congestion in the receiving sites is a major concern; overburdening existing
facilities; and complicating access for emptying latrines. This is contributing to an increase in public
health risks in these sites. Faecal sludge management remains a high priority for the WASH Sector.

Coordination:
• Based on the developed WASH AWD preparedness and response plan mapping of supplies has been
completed and sector partners have been requested to procure additional supplies to fill the gaps.
• To further decentralize coordination and improve decision making at site level and zone level, the
WASH site focal and zone points agencies are meeting on a weekly basis to identify the gaps and
map out infrastructure constructed by non-traditional actors (private donors) and guide new partners.
• The WASH sector coordination unit is actively participating in Military Coordination Cell meetings as
well as to strengthening the quality control mechanism several bilateral with Military is ongoing.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 15

Coordination
The humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar is coordinated by an Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG)
which was established after the previous significant influx of people in October 2016 to try and ensure
better operational coordination amongst agencies.

Eleven sectors are currently operating in CXB: Education (UNICEF/SCI), Food Security (WFP),
Protection with GBV and Child Protection Sub-Sectors (UNHCR, UNFPA and UNICEF), Nutrition
(UNICEF), Health (WHO), WASH (ACF/UNICEF), Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications (WFP),
Shelter & NFI (IOM), Site Management (IOM), and Multi-Sector ( for the registered refugee response in
Nayapara and Kutupalong Registered Refugee Camps, in place since the early 1990s, under UNHCR)
along with two working groups – Communication with Communities and Information Management.

The Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) operates under the strategic guidance provided by a Policy
Group, which includes UN, INGOs and donors at Dhaka level.

The Sectors liaise with relevant Government counterparts: Ministries, Departments or other authorities,
and ensure
clear linkages with the national level clusters. Sectors are underpinned by the principles of the cluster
approach, allowing for a more effective coordination, the establishment of sector standards, needs
assessments and analysis, technical issues, and monitoring needs and gaps in the provision of
humanitarian assistance.

Better coordination with the large number of Bangladeshi civil society organizations who are providing
multiple, small scale, but often uncoordinated distributions including clothing and food is required.

Individuals and private companies in Cox’s Bazar who would like to provide support to the Rohingya
population should contact the local authorities to ensure that this process is appropriately coordinated.
The District Administration has established a control room to support this – those individuals wishing to
provide assistance should call them on +88 0161 5700 900.

The Department of Public Health Engineering DPHE and the District Civil Surgeon have established
mechanisms in Cox’s Bazar to improve coordination with implementing agencies on WASH and health
respectively. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) district level RRRC will also be
engaging in coordination with humanitarian actors on the Kutupalong site establishment. The
government has not requested support from Foreign Medical Teams at this stage.

Gender Needs: Integrating gender equality measures into the Rohingya refugee crisis response is
critical to ensuring the most vulnerable and marginalized among them have equitable access to (and
benefit from) relief, services and information. Actors across sectors of humanitarian response are
currently engaging refugees in participatory assessments, community self-management activities and
others, and gender-responsiveness of these initiatives are being ensured based on inputs from the inter-
sector GiHA WG. This is a positive development, which should be nurtured throughout the current
humanitarian response. Humanitarian responses often miss this opportunity which is key to response
effectiveness, accountability to affected populations and to communities’ longer-term resilience. Good
humanitarian programming requires that affected people (women, girls, boys and men including the most
vulnerable and marginalized) participate in all areas of the programme cycle and that programming
actions flow from gender responsive needs assessment to how activities are tailored, monitored to
ensure refugees benefit equally/equitably from interventions. Based on ongoing joint GiHA WG field
monitoring visits and collective feedback, the gender profile is being finalized to serve as gender analysis
evidence base to guide gender-responsive humanitarian programming. Further, to support sectors and
partners in ensuring gender-responsive humanitarian efforts, the GiHA WG is supporting the application
of the IASC Gender Marker and the Sector Gender Tip sheets, including for the HRP revision process.

ISCG NGO Coordination Cell: NGOs have begun receiving FD7 clearance, following engagement both in
Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar with NGO’s and sector leads. New NGOs should ensure that they coordinate

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh
 Situation Report – Rohingya Refugee Crisis | 16

their activities with existing partners though the sectors. For further information, and assistance with
clearances, please contact the NGO Support Cell in the Inter-Sector Coordination Group –
iscg.ngo1@gmail.com or iscg.ngo2@gmail.com.

For further information, please contact:

Margo Baars, Inter-Sector Coordinator, mbaars@iom.int
Saikat Biswas, National Coordination Officer, sbiswas@iom.int
Zhu, Ying, Information Management Officer, yzhu@iom.int
Amierah Ismail, Reporting Officer, ismail53@un.org

For more information, please visit https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh and ReliefWeb

https://reliefweb.int/organization/iscg

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) hosted by IOM

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/bangladesh