A disproportionate amount of aid
activities are dedicated to government–
recognized refugees, even though they
constitute only about 10 percent of
the population in need of aid.
This Rohingya couple told RI about the crowded
conditions, heat, and lack of food in Kutupalong
Makeshift Settlement.
makeshift settlements, particularly through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which has been
designated by the government as its chief implementing
partner. 4 International humanitarian agencies, under
an Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) led by IOM,
have been developing a new strategy to improve coordination and response. Nonetheless, the political will of the
government to do more for Rohingya in the country
remains limited and the humanitarian coordination
structure is inefficient and disjointed.
6
In fact, the reluctance of the Government of Bangladesh
to recognize Rohingya as refugees has led to a humanitarian response structure unlike any other in the world, one
in which the national structure is not aligned with the
international response and the international response not
consistent with global best practices. On the government
side, the 33,000 Rohingya recognized by the government
as refugees are in two camps with a camp management
structure overseen by a dedicated Refugee, Relief and
Repatriation Coordinator (RRRC) within the Ministry of
Disaster Management and Relief. But the vast majority of
Rohingya, those deemed UMN, fall under the purview
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, living in makeshift
settlements and among host communities without a
management structure dedicated to overseeing their
needs. On the international side, UNHCR, which is
mandated globally with leading refugee responses, is
restricted to coordinating services for just the 33,000
government-recognized refugees. IOM, in accordance
with the Bangladesh government’s preference to view
Rohingya as migrants, is mandated with implementing the broader UMN response. The lack of a dedicated
management structure for UMN in makeshift
settlements on the government side and lack of clear
coordination among international humanitarian actors,
has resulted in a lack of clarity in responsibility and
standards for gathering of information related to the
various needs typical of any humanitarian response
(nutrition, health, shelter, protection etc.). The upshot
has been significant inefficiencies, including an excess of
field level coordination meetings, cases of service gaps in
some areas, and duplication of services in others.
The government’s distinction between refugees and
UMN has also led to unequal responses. Under the
existing structure, humanitarian aid is not based on
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