The UN refugee agency UNHCR is set to unveil a new USD 943 million Joint Response Plan (JRP) that seeks to meet the needs of more than 880,000 Rohingya refugees and 472,000 Bangladeshis in the surrounding host communities in Cox’s Bazar District.

The 2021 JRP brings together the efforts of Bangladesh and 134 UN agencies and NGO partners to target almost 1.4 million people this year, bdnews24.com reported.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is set to unveil the plan at a donor conference on Tuesday, its spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said at a press briefing in Geneva, according to a statement.

Mahecic appealed to the world for strong and renewed support for Bangladesh to meet the needs of the Rohingyas from Myanmar.

Most Rohingya refugees, some 740,000, fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017.

“With the refugee crisis in its fourth year, Bangladesh needs robust and sustained international support to ensure the safety and wellbeing of stateless Rohingya refugees. This must not become a forgotten crisis. Both Rohingya refugees and Bangladesh, having generously hosted them for decades, must see the world standing with them,” said Mahecic.

Adding to the complexity of the crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded vulnerabilities for refugees and host communities alike.

Bangladesh, with the support of the humanitarian community, has “effectively” managed the COVID-19 response and the spread of the disease in the Rohingya camps and surrounding areas, though the trajectory of the virus remains unpredictable.

A coordinated and inclusive response has saved lives. However, it is critical to ensure the continued delivery of all humanitarian assistance and protection services, the statement said.

“The needs of Rohingya refugees reach beyond subsistence and physical safety. Refugees, like any other people, cannot be allowed to wait for years without access to education and options for a decent life and a meaningful future.”

“To mitigate the risks of people taking dangerous onward journeys, more must be done to ensure that refugees have hope in Bangladesh, and of a future back home in Myanmar. Otherwise, they may increasingly risk such journeys by land or sea to find a solution elsewhere,” it added.

Last year, the United Nations appealed for more than USD 1 billion to meet the needs of the Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.

At the end of 2020, this appeal was just 59.4 percent funded.

“We stress that the international community must not only maintain support for refugees and their hosts, but also adapt to new and emerging needs and pursue the search for durable solutions,” the UNHCR said.

It emphasized that the search for durable solutions “must remain focused” on the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their homes in Myanmar, when conditions allow them to do so.

(SAM)