Old name alert
Since the end of August, nearly 400,000 Rohingyas have crossed the Myanmar border and taken refuge in Bangladesh. Joining the estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Rohingyas present in the country, the new arrivals need food and drinking water, access to sanitary facilities, health care, rehabilitation sessions, and other accommodations. Handicap International is responding to this emergency by supplying aid to families with acute needs.
Our teams have been working in two refugee camps, makeshift shelters, and host communities in the Teknaf and Ukhiya districts of Cox’s Bazar since 2007. There, we are supplying aid to the new arrivals. HI staff are identifying the most vulnerable individuals–people with disabilities, pregnant women, older people, and children–and accessing their health needs.
10,000 people supplied with aid
We are distributing protection kits containing torches, mattresses and blankets, hygiene kits with soap, water and other items, and accommodation kits containing bamboo, plastic sheets and the like. In addition, we’re supplying mobility aids–crutches, walkers, etc.–and rehabilitation sessions. Thus far, we’ve provided support to 1,850 houses, reaching nearly 10,000 people.
Handicap International also provides the most vulnerable individuals with psychological support to help them overcome their trauma. We help direct people with specific needs, such as those who need access to education, to partner organizations able to cater to their more precise requirements.
In order to meet the growing needs of the 15,000 Rohingyas arriving in Bangladesh each day, HI plans to expand our emergency response.