This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson
Andrej Mahecic – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press
briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
20 February 2018
UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, is following the situation of
several thousand Rohingya who have been living in a so-called “no man’s land”
near the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh since the end of August 2017.
We estimate there are some 1,300 families, approximately
5,300 men, women, boys and girls living in the area near Tombru canal. Several
representatives of this group have indicated that they fear returning home and
wish to seek safety in Bangladesh.
UNHCR reiterates that everyone has the right to seek
asylum, just as they also have the right to return home when they deem the time
and circumstances right. People who have fled violence in their country must be
guaranteed safety and protection, and must be consulted on their future. Any
decision to return must be voluntary based upon a free and informed choice.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, together with the authorities,
UNHCR and partners continue to step up preparations to ensure that refugees are
as well-protected as they can be ahead of the monsoon season. To date, we have
distributed over 33,000 upgraded shelter kits for refugee families, including
biodegradable sandbags to help anchor the structures.
Small engineering projects continue in the settlements
where UNHCR operates to build bamboo-reinforced footpaths and stairs, raised
bridges, and retaining walls for soil stabilization and drainage networks. We
are also pre-positioning 35 containers of post-storm relief items at
distribution points across Kutupalong and Nayapara camps.
Families most at risk of floods and landslides will be
encouraged to relocate to other areas.
Given the limited land available in the settlements,
strict prioritization on relocations will need to be undertaken.
Today, we began relocating the first 50 families living
in one flood prone area to a new and safer part of the site. They will be among 381 households who will be
relocated over the next week. Other families will be relocated by the
International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
We continue consultations with the Bangladesh government
about additional land that might be made available for relocation. This would
allow us to increase the number of refugees we can relocate who are currently
living in locations at risk of landslides or flooding in the coming weeks.
UNHCR staffs are facilitating community engagement in
preparedness efforts, in particular on appropriate messaging to communities
likely to be affected by landslides, floods or cyclones, and analysing
community coping mechanisms and preparedness plans.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
In Cox’s Bazar, Caroline Gluck, gluck@unhcr.org, +880 187 269 9849
In Dhaka, Joseph Tripura, tripura@unhcr.org, +88 01 713 090 375
In Bangkok, Vivian Tan, tanv@unhcr.org,
+66 818 270 280
In Geneva, Andrej Mahecic, mahecic@unhcr.org, +41 79 642 97 09