Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Bangladesh + 1 more

Bangladesh Concept of Operations, May 2018

Attachments

BACKGROUND

Since 1992, Cox’s Bazar District in Bangladesh has received people fleeing from Rakhine State in Myanmar. Beginning in early summer 2017 a deterioration of the situation between the Rohingya population in Rakhine State and the Myanmar authorities has resulted in a massive new influx of Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMNs) into Bangladesh. An estimated 655,000 crossed into Cox’s Bazar District since 25 August 2017 and, coupled with the existing refugee populations, has put the total caseload at approximately 865,000 UMN’s and refugees as of January 2018.

The Government of Bangladesh’s (GoB) National Strategy on UMNs and Refugees will provide basic assistance, which is further complemented and supported by assistance from the humanitarian community through immediate lifesaving emergency activities across all sectors. In line with GoB’s National Strategy on Undocumented Myanmar Nationals and Refugees, the humanitarian community is scaling up its operation to support the national government’s response.

Those international humanitarian organisations that are present in Cox’s Bazar District are also playing a pivotal role in managing the growth in existing refugee settlements, and are providing similar support extending into makeshift sites as well. Clearly the size and complexity of the operation requires a well-integrated and coherent inter-agency response; this is even more critical given the uncertainties surrounding the possibility for return of the affected population to Myanmar in the short-to-medium term.

Given the current circumstances it also seems clear that the displaced population, both refugees and UMNs will require assistance in Bangladesh for an extended period; and, in parallel it can be expected that there will be a continuing aid/relief material requirement to be met by responding governments and humanitarian organisations.

LOGISTICS SITUATION ANALYSIS

There is a general shortage of warehousing in Cox’s Bazar District: excess commercial warehousing is limited, most government facilities are fully occupied, and existing dedicated emergency and disaster management infrastructure is close to capacity. Storage options become more limited further south in Cox Bazaar District, towards Teknaf.

Available land for the construction of new storage facilities is extremely limited due to the rugged terrain and agricultural land use in the District. Seasonal high winds and flooding impose additional limitation, making locating suitable facilities and/or land to augment storage capacity a challenge.

The primary road network connecting major cities (i.e. Dhaka to Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar) is typically effective, and widely used for the movement of commercial goods; conditions are generally favourable and no security issues have been reported to date. Roads are accessible and in overall good condition but with a suggested truck capacity of 3-5 MT maximum for transport within the district of Cox’s Bazar. However, with the rapid expansion of refugee settlements and makeshift sites across Cox’s Bazar District, and specifically in the vicinity of Ukhia, heavy road congestion is often reported and visible particularly in the southern half of the District.

Limited secondary transport infrastructure has been established within the main refugee settlements and makeshift sites in Cox’s Bazar District. Footpaths and tracks are relied upon for the movement of almost all materials/goods to large areas of the main settlement at Kutapalong, but the network is insufficient to the needs and vulnerable to rains. Similarly, the main road in Kutapalong is potentially vulnerable in the event of severe and/or prolonged rains.

Cox’s Bazar District experiences some of the highest annual rainfall in Bangladesh, and there is potential for severe flooding during the rainy season (June to October). In addition, just before the onset (April and May) and at the end of the rainly season (September to December), Bangladesh is at risk from tropical storms and cyclones that form in the Bay of Bengal. While the majority of the storms which directly impact Bangladesh typically make landfall along the coastline between Chittagong and Kuakata, several large cyclones have affected Cox’s Bazar District directly over the last decade. Damage to infrastructure from high winds can be severe, and intense flooding can limit movement and restrict road access.