A huge funding shortage is affecting hundreds of thousands of persecuted and traumatised Rohingyas in relations to live-saving key sectors like food security, shelters and health, according to officials of the government, international organisations and NGOs. The lukewarm response so far to the $ 951-million joint response plan (JRP) launched in March is worrying the host government and other service-providers on the ground, they said.
Apart from this, they added that the organisations working to provide humanitarian services to hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas are facing many other challenges. So far only $257 million, which is 27 per cent of the required amount, has been funded since the launching of the JRP about four months ago, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to the JRP, only 20.9 per cent ($50.3 million) out of required $240.9 million for food security has so far been made available. With regard to shelter, only 14.3 per cent (19.5 million) of the required $136.6 million has been funded while in the case of health, the service providers have so far received only $14.3 million (12.6 per cent) out of required $113.1 million.
Lesser funding in these life-saving sectors than the other sectors is very worrying, said a top government official.
“The funding is not adequate anyway. By now there should be more money,” he said, adding that the availability of fewer amount to respond to the needs in regards to food security, health and shelter is a big reason for worry.
Quite a few officials of the government and international organisations also echoed his concern and placed great emphasis on more funding for the smooth operation of their humanitarian activities.
“We have always been assured that money will not be a problem. So, I don’t have any idea why the flow of funding is so low,” said another government official.
“We are dealing here with a serious matter. Unavailability of proper funding can cause deaths, which is the last thing we all want,” said a senior official of a UN organisation.
“Donors helped us generously. We will hope that they will come up with more funding as quickly as possible,” said an official of another UN organisation.
About other challenges, the officials concerned of the humanitarian service-providing organisations mentioned need for additional land to decongest the camps and provide additional structures and improve services, construction of resilient shelter that can withstand heavy rains and high winds and risk of diseases, especially water-borne ones.
They also talked about increased services to ensure support and assistance to girls and women as well as men and boys and need for more access routes for continuous monitoring, maintenance and rehabilitation for prompt delivery of assistance.
The officials also referred to necessary permission for people concerned to use the security telecommunications network and to import the requisite radio equipment and timely clearance of stocks and materials, visas for staff and permits for NGO activities.