Rohingya Crisis — Bangladesh — Phase IV
More than five years after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar through a mass exodus to Bangladesh, nearly a million Rohingya refugees, almost half of them children, continue to live in difficult conditions in Cox’s Bazar. Most are entirely dependent on humanitarian aid to meet their basic survival needs. Host communities have also been significantly impacted.
AHP partners have been responding to the Rohingya refugee crisis since 2017, working in both camps and host communities. The AHP is now in its fourth phase of response to the crisis, supported by the Australian Government.
The AHP Phase IV response
In May 2023, the Australian Government committed AU$16 million to support a fourth phase of response in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, by AHP partners. This phase will run from July 2023 to December 2025.
Two AHP consortia are responding.
Under the lead of CARE Australia, Plan International, Oxfam Australia and four local NGOs [Friends in Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB), Mukti Cox’s Bazar, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) and NGO Forum] will deliver a protection-centred response, working across a range of sectors including education, WASH, disaster risk reduction and livelihoods.
Activities will include inclusive early childhood education; foundational literacy and numeracy for adolescents, with a particular focus on encouraging the participation of women and girls; inclusive, accessible WASH facilities; supporting community-based child protection mechanisms; Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces; gender-based violence services; women’s leadership and skills development, among other initiatives.
Save the Children Australia will lead four local partners [Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), Partners in Health and Development (PHD), Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) and Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bandhu)] to respond on health, education, child protection and disaster risk reduction.
Activities will include inclusive healthcare and nutrition services, including maternal and child health, sexual reproductive health, mental health, ambulance services, vaccinations and rehabilitation services; establishing peer support groups for adolescents, women and girls, people with a disability and those with diverse sexual orientation or gender identity; case management and psychosocial support for at-risk children; improving child protection and gender-based violence systems and response; establishing and renovating safe learning facilities; and providing inclusive early childhood education.
Both consortia will work across a mix of camps and host communities, and all activities will prioritise the needs of vulnerable groups such as women and girls, children and people with disabilities.
Latest field stories from Bangladesh
Harun, an 11-year-old Rohingya boy with visual impairments, was struggling at his local learning centre, facing challenges with reading and teasing from peers. With specialised support from Save the Children and the Center for Disability and Development, he is now thriving.
Habib was showing signs of developmental delay, worrying his parents. After enrolling him in a Gender Transformative Early Childhood Development Centre, supported through AHP, he is improving his communication and listening skills.
Rokshana's baby twins were struggling to thrive, and their survival was uncertain. Pushing through cultural and social barriers to seek care at a hospital supported by the Australian Government and Save the Children, a mother's determination and access to healthcare has changed the twins' fate.
With the health post in her refugee camp having closed down due to a lack of funds, Nasima started labour with her third child worried about where she could go. Newly expanded health services, supported by AHP and Save the Children, meant she could give birth in safety.
For 16-year-old Kohinoor, community-based child protection and education mechanisms supported by the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response in Bangladesh have empowered her to stand up to her parents and refuse a child marriage.
AHP-funded disaster risk reduction activities in the crowded refugee camps of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, are supporting livelihoods and reducing the threat of landslides.
Through access to gender-transformative early childhood education in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, children like Ahana are developing holistic social skills and knowledge that will support them for life.
For 20-year-old Farzana, who has a vision disability, learning how to grow produce in a home garden with her mother has opened new pathways for acceptance and financial security.
Girls in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, like 14-year-old Yaesmin are learning to advocate for their rights and protect themselves from GBV and early marriage through the Girls Shine curriculum.
16-year-old Rafiq can now write his name, and is standing up for child rights in his community, after attending a youth club supported through the AHP response in Cox’s Bazar.
Noor and Roshida struggled to get enough water from a distant well for their seven children to stay clean and healthy. Now, an accessible tap stand at their home in Cox’s Bazar is improving their quality of life.
When Omar broke his arm playing sport, his mother, struggling to make ends meet in a Rohingya camp in Bangladesh, didn’t notice the severity of the injury. A child protection worker supported by AHP helped them get medical care.
Nur Mohammad and his wife Mariam grew up in traditional Rohingya households, where the roles of men and women were rigidly defined. After attending workshops supported by AHP and World Vision, they are changing norms at home and in their community.
Livelihoods training, cash grants and market linkages for the host community, and cash for work opportunities for Rohingya refugees, are enabling families to increase their income and strengthen their resilience in Bangladesh.
Sayed Alam didn’t realise just how much attending Community-Based Child Protection Committee meetings, supported by AHP, had changed his views until he found out that his son had eloped with a girl. He acted quickly to stop the marriage.
When Azida’s new husband and in-laws discovered her hearing disability, she was threatened with divorce. With the help of World Vision through AHP, hearing aids have transformed her quality of life.
Young Rohingya refugee and volunteer Hafezur is helping his community to stay safe and healthy through water testing, WASH facilities management and repairs.
E-cash transfers are giving women in host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the chance to start their own small businesses, and to have greater control over their finances.