Nutritional status of Rohingya children very worrying: IOM

Despite all the humanitarian aid provided, the nutritional status of under-5 Rohingya children have drastically deteriorated compared to the last year.

“This situation is very worrying,” the IOM said in its latest report released on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the Social Services Division has identified and registered 22,484 unaccompanied and separated children as of October 28, according to the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) that operates under the strategic guidance provided by a Policy Group, which includes UN, INGOs and donors at Dhaka level.

As of November 4, the Bangladesh Immigration and Passports Department registered 405,700 people using biometric registration.

The report is produced by ISCG in collaboration with humanitarian partners. The next report will be issued on November 12.

Some 609,000 new arrivals are reported as of November 5, according to IOM Needs and Population Monitoring.

Since the last situation report on November 2, there have been 4,000 new arrivals.

There is still a significant lack of awareness among new arrivals that services are available and free for refugees and host communities who require assistance, said the report.

Lack of space continues to be an obstacle to the establishment of service facilities, including child-friendly spaces and safe spaces for women and other vulnerable Rohingyas, the report added.

It affects the access of refugees to necessary services, including identifying private, safe service points for protection case management and for psychosocial support services for GBV (gender-based violence) cases.

The total estimated people in need of protection interventions and activities include 913,500 estimated Rohingyas in Bangladesh and that includes 33,000 registered refugees, 274,500 estimated unregistered Rohingyas, prior to 2017, 609,000 estimated arrivals since 25 August 2017. 

With increasing new arrivals, comprehensive, protection-sensitive reception systems need further development to ensure proper reception of all refugees, including those with vulnerabilities and specific needs. 

There is a lack of capacity of protection agencies and service providers to address protection risks and needs in host communities, villages and informal settlements, said the report.

Violence in Rakhine State that began on August 25 last has driven the Rohingyas across the border into Cox's Bazar.

The people who have arrived in Bangladesh since then came with very few possessions.

They have used the majority of 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 lifesaving needs.

Source: unb