YCR Rohingya Team Statement There is a saying in Rohingya, “Ugguá manshor zorurot noza niyore, hiba re modot gora nooza.” Meaning, “A person cannot be helped without knowing their need.” Unfortunately, our Rohingya communities have seen this very dynamic repeatedly played out in the refugee camps, as humanitarian actors and government officials administer aid to Rohingya communities while excluding our voices and leadership. This exclusion is particularly apparent for major programmatic and policy decisions. As a result of this lack of consultation and inclusion, Rohingya have found that the operations of the camps and the services provided are often ineffective. Low levels of capacity and education are generally the justifications given for this lack of consultation and lack of empowerment. These broad generalisations invalidate the skills, creativity, knowledge, and expertise possessed by the Rohingya community. The YCR team believes that the quality of this research not only sheds light on the important topics that we examine, but can also push back against the idea that Rohingya do not have the capacity to contribute to and lead on the humanitarian response for Rohingya in the camps. In particular, YCR would like to highlight the following strengths of this project and other Rohingya-led projects. First, while international humanitarian organisations see frequent turnover and a consistent draining of institutional memory, Rohingya live in the camps permanently. We are experts on Rohingya community needs, the dynamics of the refugee camps, and the historical and cultural context of our people. Second, because of this familiarity with the context, Rohingya-led efforts have the potential to be more effective in their operations. For example, Rohingya refugees generally do not feel comfortable speaking about sensitive topics in the camps. However, during this research, YCR prioritised cultural sensitivity and the use of Rohingya language when interacting with respondents and explained that the research was community led. Due to this approach, Rohingya were willing to share about incredibly sensitive topics including government restrictions, perspectives of armed groups, sexual violence, mental health, and others. Third, because of intimate familiarity with camp dynamics, initiatives that are Rohingya led can adapt plans and programmes to an evolving security situation, safeguarding staff while continuing to be able to access areas that are difficult to reach, by recruiting localised staff in areas that are less safe or difficult to travel to. Lastly, Rohingya CSOs can provide representation for the Rohingya community by collecting diverse Rohingya perspectives through representative, population-based research, such as this study. This is particularly important, as there is a lack of robust camp-based Rohingya institutions to represent our interests due to the suppression of these kinds of institutions both in Myanmar and in Bangladesh. Rohingya CSOs can assist in filling that void. The YCR team believes that Rohingya-led efforts such as this research should be expanded and could result in an improved service provision in many sectors of refugee life. 4