Rohingya Joint Response Plan 2021 lacks foresight, say NGOs 

The Cox's Bazar CSO NGO Forum (CCNF), a group of 50 non-government organisations working in Cox's Bazar, says the Rohingya Joint Response Plan (JRP) 2021 adopted by the United Nations (UN) lacks foresight. 

Addressing a virtual press conference titled "Joint Response Plan (JRP) 2021, Rohingya Response Management and Strategy, Hardly Fit for the Purpose and Futuristic", CCNF Co-Chair and Executive Director of COAST Trust Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, said the JRP was not appropriate to deal with the crisis.  

"In a written statement marking the official publication of the JRP on 18 May, we said the views of locals were not reflected in the Rohingya crisis management."

The Intersectoral Co-ordination Group (ISCG) led by some foreign UN officials over the past four years had not been able to disclose the details of funding received for addressing the Rohingya crisis, he said. 

The details of how much of the fund was spent on locals and on purchases from local sources as well as how many people were recruited from locals were not revealed either, said Rezaul. 

He said the activities of local and national NGOs as well as many international ones, such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the amount of funds they received were not included in the JRP. 
That is why the effectiveness of ISCG in addressing the Rohingya crisis is questionable, he said. 

He further said the JRP had not analysed the future situation, adding how the crisis would be addressed if the Rohingyas were not repatriated in the next five or 10 years should be thought of now.   
Describing excessive overcrowding in the Rohingya camps as a major problem, he said the CCNF had been recommending building two-storey, easily relocatable houses to resolve this.

"Of the Rohingyas, 65% are youngsters, and they need a recognised education system. There must also be earning opportunities for them so that they are not tempted to be involved in terrorism and illegal activities and do not become a threat to overall development."

CCNF Co-Chair and Executive Director of Programme for Helpless And Lagged Societies (PHALS) Abu Morshed Chowdhury said three separate authorities are involved in the Rohingya management at present – the ISCG, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRCC), and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner. 
"It cannot be said that they always coordinate. Thus, there should be a single authority to supervise programmes and a single management to oversee funds."

Chief Executive of Mukti Cox's Bazar Bimal Chandra Dey Sarker said the UN-led localisation task force in Bangladesh had prepared the localisation roadmap to ensure localisation of Rohingya funding. 

Arifur Rahman, chief executive of Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), said there should be transparency in funding, adding only 4% of the funding had come from local agencies. 

To eliminate the need for foreign workers after 2021, there should be a plan for transferring skills and technology, he said. 
Joint Director of COAST Trust Mujibul Haque Munir said a study had found that each of the 21,000 refugees generates 3.3 tonnes of waste per day and most of it is plastic waste. 
Plastic use should be completely banned as the underground water levels in Ukhiya and Teknaf are depleting, he added.