A shortage of foreign funds has affected the uncertain lives of the Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, with only a little over half the required funds received this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, reports bdnews24.com.
The funds raised in the past three years totalled more than 72 per cent of the expected amounts.
Fund collection got disrupted after the coronavirus pandemic upended the global economy, believes the strategic executive group led by the United Nations (UN), which is in charge of the collection and management of the funds.
"The world is passing through an unprecedented global pandemic. Economies are contracting while domestic commitments for many countries are increasing, including for healthcare, social safety nets and economic stimulus packages," the strategic executive group, Joint Response Plan, said in a statement.
Bangladesh is likely to face a severe economic pressure if the fund crunch for the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar continues.
The refugees will "become a burden" on Bangladesh if the funds keep shrinking, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said.
The JRP has been raising and managing funds for the Rohingya refugees since 2017. Mia Seppo, the United Nations resident coordinator in Bangladesh, Steven Corliss, the UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, and Giorgi Gigauri, the chief of mission at the International Organisation for Migration, Bangladesh, are the co-chairs in the group.
The JRP initially sought $877 million for this year and later it added $181 million as part of the initiative to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the Rohingya camps.
As on October 31, the JRP has received $574.9 million of the $1 billion fund in two parts, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. The fund is sufficient to execute only 54.3 per cent of the overall planning with two months of the year left.
The UN and other international bodies have urged the international community to continue providing aid to the Rohingyas.
Donors promised around $600 million in assistance to the Rohingya during a virtual conference organised by the UK, the US and other countries along with some international organisations on October 22, seeking funds for the Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh.
A lockdown was imposed in Cox's Bazar camp on March 11, after Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases. Only the NGOs working to distribute drinking water and food and ensure sanitation are allowed in the camps. Despite the stringent lockdown, the virus has spread in the camp.
The UN, UNHCR and IOM have been raising and managing the funds for Rohingya refugees since 2017 under the JRP programme. It received $38.2 million from donors in 2017, which was 73 per cent of the amount the JRP sought. An amount of $220 million was donated by others, summing up the total fund to $536.5 million. The total fund received for the Rohingya was $821.7 million in 2018 and $838.4 million in 2019.
The first three JRP received 72 to 75 per cent of the funds sought by the authorities, while this year they received only 54.3 percent in 10 months. Bangladesh received $149 million from donors outside the JRP programme this year.
The UN and its partners pledged to ensure a 'truly durable and lasting' solution to the problem.
The Rohingya crisis lingered with the delay in their repatriation. Bangladesh government and development organisations at home and abroad have been providing them with emergency aid including food, drinking water, health, shelter and other needs.
The UN and other organisations stressed the need for ensuring education and other training for building their capacity, so the Rohingya can be mainstreamed on their repatriation to Myanmar.
Bangladesh, however, will be under financial strains if the fund shrinks despite an increase in spending due to new initiatives.
Bangladesh has to spend a lot on the workforce needed to manage the Rohingya refugees. Installation of a simple barbed-wire fence costs Tk 1.0 billion, said the foreign minister. "We've spent Tk 30 billion to prepare Bhashan Char."
Bangladesh will be able to 'manage the situation' despite a fund crunch, said Imtiaz Ahmed, a professor of international relations at Dhaka University.
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