Bangladesh: Age and Incapacity Inclusion Wants Evaluation FactSheet – Rohingya Refugee Response (Could 2021) – Bangladesh

CONTEXT

Over the past four decades, Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh in successive waves from Rakhine State in Myanmar.
As of August 2017, an estimated 715,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to the Bazar district of Cox in Bangladesh, where around 860,000 refugees are currently living in 34 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas.1 In response to the influx of refugees, national and international organizations have provided humanitarian aid next to the government of Bangladesh. In this context, the meaningful and dignified inclusion of people of all ages and people with disabilities has been included in successive joint response plans in 2019 and 2020.2 However, the increased risk of people with disabilities and the elderly is widely recognized by the populations affected as well as A lack of data on the prevalence of disabilities in various camps and on the specific requirements, obstacles and preferences of older people and people with disabilities make evidence-based inclusive programming difficult for humanitarian actors.

Against this background, REACH, with technical support from the Working Group on Age and Disability (ADWG), carried out an assessment of the need for inclusion of old age and disability for all Rohingya refugee populations. The assessment aimed to understand the prevalence of disability and to help the key actors working in Cox’s Bazar, including focal points and technical agencies and stakeholders, to identify the nuanced and specific needs, access to services and support, and involvement of people with Disabilities in all age groups to be considered groups and elderly people living in Rohingya camps as part of response programming. The assessment was coordinated by the ADWG and carried out with technical input from an ADTT team (Age and Disability Task Team). The ADTT consisted of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration Needs and Population Monitoring (IOM NPM), the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector (WASH) and REACH. Technical contributions were also made by Humanity & Inclusion (HI), CBM and the Center for Disability in Development (CDD) and Prottyashi.