Heavy rains across Myanmar caused the Thanlwin (Salween) River to burst its banks and flood areas of Kayin State, Myanmar in July 2018. More than 16,000 people in Hlaingblwe, Hpa-an, Kawkareik, Kyainseikgyi and Myawaddy townships have been displaced, and thousands more affected by the rising floodwaters. Among those impacted are nearly 6,000 residents of camps in Myaing Gyi Nu, Hlaingbwe township, already displaced by conflict. In late July, Community Partners International (CPI) responded by organizing deliveries of emergency food supplies to displaced communities in Myaing Gyi Nu. CPI delivered 600 bags of rice, 1,440 lbs of meal substitutes, 190 gallons of cooking oil, 4,320 lbs of potatoes and 20 bags of salt to displaced communities around Myaing Gyi Nu. CPI is carrying out further needs assessments and will continue to provide support depending on the identification and prioritization of needs.
With more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in tightly-packed shelters in Cox’s Bazar, and with many communities at high risk of flooding from the monsoon rains, access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation is crucial to reduce the risk of diarrhea, cholera and other dangerous diseases. As of June 21, 2018, two thirds of Rohingya refugees have access to safe water and functional latrines that meet the standards agreed by the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) in Cox’s Bazar. Community Partners International (CPI) is working with local partner Society for People’s Action in Change and Equity (SPACE) to help close the gap and ensure that all refugees have access to these basic needs.
Breaking the Silence: Innovative Approaches to Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Cox’s Bazar7/1/2018
For Rohingya women and girls sheltering as refugees in Cox’s Bazar, the shadow of gender-based violence (GBV) is never far away. While many have directly experienced or witnessed traumatic incidents during the recent violence in northern Rakhine state, the precarious circumstances and lack of protection that they experience as refugees continues to expose them to a high risk of GBV and human trafficking. Among Rohingya communities, as in many communities in Myanmar and elsewhere, stigma and cultural norms can hinder discussion and acknowledgment of these issues, making prevention and response more challenging. Survivors of GBV often have little or no access to support, and awareness-raising and prevention efforts can face resistance. Community Partners International (CPI) is working in partnership with Rohingya communities in Cox’s Bazar to find creative and innovative ways to break the silence around GBV, and support community initiatives that help ensure women and girls are protected from violence.
The precarious shelters that house the estimated 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, offer scant resistance against the monsoon rains now sweeping this region. Landslides and flash floods are significant and ever-present threats facing these communities seeking refugee from communal violence in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. As part of wider disaster preparedness efforts, Community Partners International (CPI) is training and supporting a network of Rohingya Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), embedded in refugee communities throughout Cox’s Bazar, to provide safe rescue and first response services in emergencies.
Community Partners International (CPI) is working with HOPE Foundation for Bangladesh (HOPE) to provide ambulance services for the Rohingya refugee population in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. CPI is helping HOPE to operate a fleet of three ambulances ready to respond day or night to medical emergencies in the refugee camps and transport patients quickly and safely to an appropriate health facility for specialist care. As well as upgrading the HOPE ambulances, CPI is helping to equip, support and train the ambulance staff.
A recent escalation of conflict in Kachin State, Myanmar, has displaced more than 5,000 people from their homes, and many more remain trapped in conflict zones. On May 12 and 13, 2018, in partnership with the Humanitarian Coordination Initiative (HCI), Community Partners International (CPI) provided emergency food packages to 200 displaced families sheltering in Tanai township. The packages contained rice, oil, salt, chickpeas and sardines to ensure that families have access to adequate nutrition during this emergency period. CPI is continuing to monitor the situation to identify ways that we can support populations affected and displaced by this conflict.
The onset of sudden illness or a traumatic injury can be particularly dangerous for the 905,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar sheltering in and around Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. With populations dispersed over very large areas, often in remote and isolated locations, access to health services is limited. This is particularly the case at night, when many community clinics and other health services are closed. The arrival of the monsoon rains, and the greatly increased risk of floods and landslides, intensify the urgent need for rapidly accessible, community-based emergency health services for Rohingya refugees.
On February 24, 2018, a third CPI-supported Health Post opened in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, to provide lifesaving health services to Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Situated in the Potibonia (Camp 16) area of Cox’s Bazar, and operated by CPI local partner Prottyashi, the Health Post provides facility-based and outreach health services to approximately 6,000 people who live in surrounding neighborhoods.
On January 19, 2018, 30 active and skilled members of the Rohingya refugee community in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, completed a five-day training course to help prepare them to become Community Health Volunteers. The course was supported and facilitated by Community Partners International (CPI) in association with our community partner Prottyashi, with training participants from Prottyashi and PULSE Bangladesh.
Jamtoli spontaneous settlement in Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, is a temporary home to nearly 50,000 Rohingya refugees seeking protection from ongoing violence in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. Since August 25, 2017, more than 650,000 refugees have crossed the border into Bangladesh, and more continue to arrive each day. The great majority of refugees are women, children (including newborns) and the elderly.
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May 2024
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