Report from BRAC
• A total of 655,000 forcibly-displaced Myanmar nationals have entered Bangladesh since 25 August (Source: ISCG report, 31 December)
• BRAC’s total coverage (based on sanitation) is 638,600 people with installation of 15,965 latrines (16 today). BRAC ensures access to safe water for 416,836 people through 1,265 shallow tube wells, 83 deep tube wells and three ring wells. 4,153 bathing cubicles were set up (19 today) especially for women and adolescent girls. A total of 5,415 latrines have been de-sludged (232 today) and made functional for reusing. 839 latrines have been decommissioned. A total of 43,773 hygiene sessions have been conducted (713 today).• 716,108 patients (7,673 today) were provided with primary health care services through BRAC’s 10 primary health care centres and 50 satellite clinics. BRAC has identified 9,010 pregnant women and helped to deliver 465 babies so far (6 today). 88,991 cases of acute respiratory infections (1,252 today) have been diagnosed and treated. BRAC has provided 36,873 sachets of micronutrient powder (205 today) to help improve nutrition intake among children.
• BRAC assisted the government in immunising 166,247 children during the campaign against diphtheria.
BRAC’s Health workers helped identify 478 potential diphtheria cases and referred for further evaluation and management. Also, the health workers undertook the task of contact tracing for the diphtheria cases and chemoprophylaxis to more than 260 FDMN patients. 279 health workers and 1,129 program staff have been trained to handle diphtheria cases, and accordingly educated 32,215 people in the camps on diphtheria (1,671 today).
• 214,407 blankets and 251,371 sets of clothes have been distributed; especially for the protection of children and elderly people against cold weather.
• Some 37,955 children received recreational support (18,569 today) through 215 child friendly spaces (CFS).
• 21,000 children have access (18,952 today) to 200 learning centres and 398 teachers have been assigned to guide them.
• 61,711 household visits to disseminate life saving messages have been completed (7,423 today) by community mobilisation volunteers. So far, orientation training of 800 volunteers and 107 staff has been completed.
Key Challenges
Threat of deforestation: Prices of firewood being sold at the makeshift settlement has decreased adjusting to the FDMNs’ affordability; especially during the cold weather. This imposes that deforestation and further environmental degradation will continue to be seen.
Booming population: Aid agencies have raised that approximately 50,000 babies are to be born in FDMN families during 2018. This will further aggravate the humanitarian crisis as the population already lives in overcrowded settlements amid limited access to insufficient food, water, sanitation, health facilities and risk of diseases. – Published on 06 Jan 2018
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