Delivering Humanitarian Assistance in Cox ’s Bazar During COVID-19

Congestion before the project came into force. Credit: WFP/Nalifa MehelinBy Srabasti SarkerCox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Jun 15 2020 (IPS) The novel coronavirus has affected the lives of millions worldwide at its very onset. The situation in Bangladesh is no different. Wearing masks and washing hands frequently have become the new normal. The first laboratory confirmed COVID-19 case was identified in Cox’s Bazar on 23 March. Unforeseen circumstances often lead to unprecedented innovative actions as is exemplified by a Humanitarian Access Project. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 amongst the 860,000 Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar, the Government of Bangladesh moved rapidly to reduce the humanitarian footprint in the refugee camps. Refugees in Cox’s Bazar live in cramped makeshift shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin with less than one metre between each shelter. Physical distancing is not an option in the densely populated camps. Simple hygiene practices such as regular hand washing can be difficult in a place where even access to clean water is limited. To mitigate the spread of the virus in and out of the camps and to ensure the continuity of the humanitarian assistance in the safest way possible, a solution had to be found. Jointly launched by the Logistics Sector and its lead-agency the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the Inter-Sector CoordinationGroup (ISCG) and the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the Humanitar...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aid Asia-Pacific Featured Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies Migration & Refugees TerraViva United Nations Water & Sanitation Source Type: news