BD can't bear Rohingyas' responsibility alone: IOM

Although Bangladesh has generously hosted Rohingya refugees for the last five years, one country cannot and should not bear this responsibility alone, said the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on Thursday, reports UNB.
The IOM has called on the international community to take urgent action to ensure long-term development and sustainable humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Nearly 1.0 million refugees remain in congested camps. More than half of them are children.
August 25 marks five years since the first of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya men, women, boys, and girls fled violence and persecution in Myanmar and sought refuge in what is now the world's largest refugee settlement in Cox's Bazar.
International and local humanitarian actors must continue to support the response led by the government of Bangladesh to enable the Rohingya to live a dignified life while in displacement, IOM said.
Rohingyas themselves have played a central role in the humanitarian response. From volunteering to support fire and cyclone response to door-to-door outreach to raise awareness of COVID-19 prevention measures, the community has led efforts across the camps to support each other.
As the crisis has become protracted, they should be further empowered through expanded access to education, skills development and livelihoods, IOM said.
With limited access to earn a living, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh remain fully reliant on humanitarian assistance.
Groups or persons with specific needs, such as persons with disabilities, female-headed households, or people without access to livelihood opportunities, reported the most significant unmet needs, leaving them vulnerable to negative coping strategies, such as human smuggling and trafficking.