Oxfam aid to reach over 200,000 Rohingya in Bangladesh

Oxfam is now distributing clean drinking water, sanitation solutions and tarpaulins for temporary accommodation to the Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh.

Nearly 420,000 people have crossed the border into Bangladesh in the last four weeks, with the number of people seeking safety in the south-east doubling and the camps in Bangladesh ill-equipped to deal with the large numbers of people.

"Bangladesh has had a very wet rainy season this year. Some of the camps have been flooded, we are trying to provide support to those who have lost their temporary shelters. This is affecting both the refugees themselves and the logistics of providing assistance to them," said Paolo Lubrano, humanitarian coordinator in the region.

People fleeing Myanmar are in urgent need of shelter, clean water, toilets and food. Women, children, older people and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. Oxfam plans to initially reach 200,000 people with aid.

"People are facing a desperate situation. They have no clean drinking water and no food. They are homeless and hungry after a long and difficult journey across the border. Many are sleeping under the open sky, on roadsides and in forests, with no shelter. People are physically and psychologically traumatized"

M B Akhter, Interim Country Director for Oxfam in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been home to 400,000 Rohingya since the 1990s. The continued influx has doubled the number of refugees in the southeastern districts of Cox's Bazar and Bandarban.

"The challenges are many. In ten days, humanitarian aid organizations have to set up shelters, provide sanitation, water and shelter, which is almost impossible. It is an extremely tight schedule. We also need to improve security, especially for women and children who are most vulnerable, and ensure people can move freely," said Lubrano.