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Myanmar Rakhine Humanitarian Crisis 2017: Work Report 3

Situation Update

Since August 2017, new rounds of violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar has led to large scale displacements that are still ongoing. At the moment, an estimated total of 915,000 people have fled from Rakhine to Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh in search of safety and temporary shelter.

Rakhine State of Myanmar is considered as one of the most underdeveloped area in the country. The area has been facing shortage of food, health services, shelters and livelihoods for a prolonged period, due to political instability and violence. One of the impact of these is the malnutrition of children which is in a worrying situation. Historically, the area is prone to floods in monsoon and cyclone season, which would further aggravate humanitarian sufferings in the area.

In the neighboring Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh, it is estimated that at least 80,000 will potentially arrive in the coming few months, topping up to the 915,000 people already displaced in the area. The living environment of displaced communities is very crowded. 86% of them are now staying in the temporary makeshift shelters while only 5% of displaced people are staying in two official camps. They live in rudimentary tents with inadequate access to clean water and basic sanitation. In the upcoming monsoon and cyclone season, it is estimated that at least 200,000 people staying in the low lying areas or unstable hillside will be severely affected by floods, landslides and mudslides.

Hong Kong Red Cross Actions

The Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) is launching an emergency appeal on the “Myanmar Rakhine Complex Emergency” from 20 June to 3 July 2018.

Since early 2017, the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) has mobilized approximately HKD 3.7 million to support the emergency operations of the International Red Cross in Bangladesh and Myanmar. HKRC is also supporting 60,000 pieces of sleeping mat and 33,100 pieces of mosquito nets. Approximately 46,000 displaced families from Myanmar to Bangladesh is benefited.

HKRC has mobilized fifteen person-times (including a clinical psychologist, six nurses, four doctors, a midwife and an engineer, two of them were deployed twice) to provide healthcare, water & sanitation and psychosocial support services at the Red Cross and Red Crescent mobile clinics and emergency hospitals in the Cox’s Bazar makeshift settlements. Each mission lasts for about one month.

HKRC continues to provide emergency tracing service for people in Hong Kong who are looking for missing family members in Bangladesh and Myanmar related to the current emergencies, details can be found on our “Emergency Tracing Service” webpage.

In September 2017, HKRC has launched an emergency appeal to support the “Bangladesh Crises 2017”. Thanks to the generosity of the Hong Kong Public, as of 31 March 2018, we have received approximately HK$ 831,000 to provide assistance for affected population in the floods in the North of Bangladesh, cyclone as well as humanitarian needs in Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh.

Red Cross and Red Crescent Actions

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are among the very few humanitarian organizations working in the border areas of both Bangladesh and Myanmar. The International Red Cross has launched emergency appeals globally, seeking for almost HKD 967 million to support the emergency operations in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

In Myanmar, from January 2017 to February 2018, the International Red Cross has provided services as below

  • Distribution of food packs to 200,000 person times.

  • Distribution of household items to 585,000 person times.

  • Provision of emergency cash grant to 13,200 people.

  • Enhancement of water and sanitation facilities for 8,500 people Supplying 667,000 liters of safe water for the affected communities.

Apart from the humanitarian assistance to the displaced people, the International Red Cross is also taking actions to protect civilians affected by violence in Rakhine:

Visiting detainees arrested in violent events aiming to secure humane treatment and condition of detention Promoting International Humanitarian Law to armed groups for protection of civilians Promoting to armed groups and army on the importance of protecting health care structures and personnel etc

In Bangladesh, the Red Cross and Red Crescent have provided services for both displaced and host communities since 2017 to May 2018

  • Distribution of food packs to over 734,000 person-times;

  • Distribution of blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, jerry cans, sleeping mats, cooking utensils, tarpaulins and shelter tool kits to over 1.25 million person-times;

  • Provision of emergency cash grant to more than 35,610 people;

  • Provision of medical services to over 164,000 people through field hospital, mobile medical teams and local healthcare centers;

  • Setting-up of 607 latrines, 11 water pumps and 193 showers;

  • Over 106,000 people involved in psychosocial support activities; and 9,000 displaced people were able to contact their family members.

The monsoon rains have started. The Red Cross and Red Crescent are distributing sandbags, ropes, plastic sheeting and required materials to make shelters sturdier. Training are provided to displaced people on how to stay safe. Relief stocks are being prepositioned for 200,000 people and prepared for immediate response in the future event of cyclones.

General Enquiry

Please call 2802-0016, fax to 2802-0017 or email to relief@redcross.org.hk.