Japan to provide emergency $750,000 aid for Rohingyas

To strengthen the emergency water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and child protection response for the new influx of Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar, the Japan government has decided to provide Emergency Grant Aid of USD 750,000 for six months through the United Nations Children's Fund.

The Emergency Grant Aid will complement the ongoing Unicef response in these areas, said a press release today.

Since August, 500,000-plus Rohingyas have arrived in Cox's Bazar, up to 60 percent of them are estimated to be children.

Most are living in harsh and insanitary conditions in makeshift camps and new spontaneous settlements in the district of Cox's Bazar, the release said.

"Water, sanitation and hygiene condition are dire in the refugee camps and makeshift settlements and condition is getting desperate with the growing number of influx every day. This poses high risk of possible outbreak of diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases especially among children. Moreover, children are traumatized due to the violence they faced in Myanmar and need immediate psychosocial and recreational support." said Edouard Beigbeder, representative, Unicef Bangladesh.

The Emergency Grant Aid will address the severe humanitarian condition of the Rohingyas by providing WASH facilities reaching out to 24,800 Rohingya children and their families directly and 60,000 indirectly. They will be provided with provision of safe drinking water, gender segregated and disability friendly latrines and bathing cubicles, handwashing facilities, hygiene promotion session and WASH emergency supplies.

 The emergency aid will also provide child protection support reaching out to 5,000 children directly and 200,000 indirectly through provision of protective services, referral mechanism, case management and support to families of vulnerable children.

The emergency grant aid will be used to support the dire need of the Rohingya children and their families ensuring strong coordination amongst all humanitarian actors to ensure effective response.