A Spanish delegation, which visited Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar district on Wednesday and Thursday, has stressed the importance of raising awareness about the Rohingya situation in the global community.
The devegation also highlighted the global community’s commitment to finding solutions to the issue, as per a UNB report.
A representative of the Humanitarian Office of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) Ana Bernardo Rodriguez and the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Spain in Dhaka Alejandra Lopez Garcia visited various projects in the Rohingya refugee camps, including those funded by the Spanish government.
The Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) welcomed them and noted that their presence demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the welfare of the Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi host community, said a media release on Friday.
"One year after the initial large scale influx, it is important that representatives of the international community has the chance to see first-hand what the humanitarian response has achieved under the leadership of the government. Given that 80 per cent of the refugees are women and children, we want to highlight the continued needs for funds to allow the restoration of a normal life," said the ISCG Senior Coordinator Annika Sandlund.
During a full two-day visit organised by the ISCG, the Spanish delegation met the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and saw first-hand the difficult condition under which the refugees are living and services provided to them in Kutupalong, Goyalmara and Unchiprang.
The delegation visited key humanitarian aid projects, including the UNHCR Transit Centre; MSF Kutupalong Hospital, Goyalmara Mother and Child Care Hospital, Unchiprang Primary Health Centre; Plan International alternative education and child protection in emergenciesactivities; IOM mental health and psychosocial support, health, youth, shelter, water and sanitation and sitemanagement activities.
The delegation had the opportunity to walk through the camps and meet a cross section of refugees from the community, including new arrivals, children, parents, a youth club, and international and localhumanitarian aid workers.
The Spanish delegation's main objective for the visit was to identify the needs and gaps in the short and medium terms.
Lopez Garcia, who had visited the camps a little over a year ago, compared the progress made in the camps to her previous visit.
"I was here in September 2017 when the big influx of new arrivals was taking place. You could see only people stranded everywhere, unstable plastic and bamboo shelters, and mud all over. The children didn't smile," explained Lopez Garcia, adding, "Now the situation has much improved thanks to the work of the humanitarian community, the government of Bangladesh, the host communities and the Rohingya population. Children smile again."
Bernardo Rodriguez advocates for more to be done, especially for women and children.
She found Rohingya women had gone through a very bad situation in terms of violence and children in need of formal education, emphasiszing that the Rohingya people need ways to make a living.
The refugees explained their situation in the informal meetings that they need hope for returning to their countries in a dignified way.
Meanwhile, they want to be able to stay temporarily in Bangladesh with a proper legal status.