ABOUT THE PROJECT The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent containment measures undertaken by the Indian Government have had a severe impact on the Rohingya refugee community in India. Most Rohingya families were unable to cover their basic needs due to disruptions to their livelihoods. Deemed "illegal" by the Indian government, they do not have access to social protection programs or other forms of assistance. Many families were unable to feed themselves and there were increasing reports of malnourishment in the community. The intersectional discrimination that the Rohingya community faces in India on account of being refugees and Muslims has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Most significantly, sections of the media have baselessly villainised the community, accusing them of deliberately spreading the virus. While there is a general understanding of COVID-19 and social distancing in the Rohingya community, there are also high levels of misinformation which has impacted their ability to take appropriate precautions. Fears of being discriminated against or even attacked are preventing those Rohingya refugees with ailments, including COVID-19 related symptoms, from accessing health facilities. Children of school-going age are housebound and unable to access education during the lockdown. Lack of ICT equipment limits their access to online education options. There are also reports of intimate partner violence, gender-based violence and violence against children in households. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in India, its implementing partners and other NGOs have aided the community in their main regions of operation [1]. However, the issues are particularly pronounced in other locations with smaller populations which have limited to no access to relief, support and communication initiatives. The project aims to set up protection monitoring mechanisms in Rohingya settlements in India to assess problems such as the spread of COVID-19. and associated issues. The information in this report is generated for sharing with key stakeholders to strengthen their responses and allocate available resources to help the community. [1] Main locations of operation include Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), Hyderabad (Telangana), Nuh (Haryana) and Delhi where the largest numbers of Rohingya reside.

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