COVID-19 pandemic and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: What are the major concerns?

10, August 2020 | Bangladesh

Authors:

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is now a global crisis and the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are in the most vulnerable situation. Lack of access to services that are considered critical and life-saving such as food, drinkable water, and shelter, together with limited access to health services are turning an already serious crisis into a major human disaster. Meanwhile, there are concerns that Rohingya refugees are already in too poor health to ward off the COVID-19. Access to the abovementioned facilities and trustworthy information about COVID-19 are amongst their dire needs to combat this pandemic. The humanitarian organisations in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh should urgently scale up their efforts to provide proper isolation centres, protective equipment, and trained health care representatives to avoid a potential catastrophe. Finally, immediate education intervention is desperately needed to protect the Rohingya refugees from this deadly COVID-19 pandemic.