As of October 2017, more than 500,000 Rohingya people have crossed over to Bangladesh. According to the UNHCR, they join the more than 400,000 others already living there in cramped makeshift camps since the early 1990s. Existing camps and the ones newly being set up are inadequate to deal with the massive influx, resulting in many seeking shelter under open skies, by the roadside and in forest areas with little or no protection.  More than 70% of the refugees are without adequate shelter and half have no safe drinking water. A large percentage of these people are children under the age of 10. This presentation explains what Oxfam is doing to respond. ROHINGYA CRISIS

This is Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh, home to almost 70,000 Rohingya refugees. As you can see from this image, many people are living under inadequate shelter, and have limited access to clean water and toilets. These children are carrying water collected from a nearby stream. Water-borne diseases can spread fast in a crowded camp. Women, children, older people and those with disabilities are especially vulnerable. Recent rains have caused flooding in some of the makeshift settlements, increasing the risk of disease and making it difficult to deliver food and water supplies. Some of the settlements along slopes and roadsides are at risk of mudslides. People who've arrived in the camp have little or no money. As they move into nearby communities and cities looking for essential supplies they risk being taken advantage of (from paying unfair exchange rates, to exploitation, sexual violence, and trafficking). LIFE IN KUTUPALONG

WHY OXFAM RESPONDS WHY IS OXFAM RESPONDING? Oxfam believes that all people should feel safe from conflict and disasters, and have their basic needs met wherever they are. We will respond wherever there is a widespread threat to life, health, or basic needs… beyond a community’s capacity to cope. This explains why Oxfam responds in some emergencies, like the Rohingya crisis, but not others, like the 2011 tsunami in Japan. We will offer humanitarian assistance in any emergency, unless it is clear we cannot add value. WHY OXFAM RESPONDS

On 22 September 2017, 15 tonnes of vital water and sanitation equipment, valued at £65,000, was loaded onto trucks at the Oxfam Supply Centre and flown to Bangladesh. This included water tanks, pipes, latrines, plastic sheeting for shelter and other necessary equipment to set up water systems in the camps. HOW OXFAM RESPONDS

Some needs may be physical, for example: food, clothes, sanitation, water, medical treatment, shelter, money, and basic essentials (soap, sanitary towels, cloths, brushes, kitchen utensils, toothpaste, nappies, etc). But people have more abstract needs too: to feel safe, to have their families nearby, to have some privacy and dignity, to be confident that things will get better, and to feel that they will return home. Needs change over time. What people are grateful for when they first become homeless may not be what they truly need in the longer term. The big issue here is a livelihood – people ultimately want a job, or the means to provide for themselves and their family. Oxfam could not possibly meet all of these needs, and like all agencies we specialise. Our specialism is water and sanitation (i.e.. toilets and washing facilities), but we sometimes provide other things too. WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED?

FOOD SUPPLIES Early in our response to the Rohingya crisis, we worked with a local partner called Coast Trust to pack and load food kits. Each of these green parcels contains: 3kg flattened rice 1kg biscuits 1kg sugar 2 soaps. This picture shows 1700 Oxfam food parcels being unloaded from a truck, ready to be distributed to Rohingya refugees at Kutupalong Camp in Bangladesh. We also provided items such as portable latrines, plastic sheeting for shelter and jerry cans. We have now received approval from the Bangladeshi government to directly respond and are scaling up our response. This includes setting up water tanks and installing manual water pumps and toilets. FOOD

CLEAN WATER Water and sanitation are the most basic and immediate needs of all. It only takes a person 3 days to die without water (it takes over 40 days to die without food). Dirty water is even more dangerous than not enough water since diarrhoea dehydrates and can kill within hours if you are weak enough. So, we give people clean water to drink, wash and cook with. We do this by trucking it in, drilling down into the ground, or cleaning a local groundwater source. The first option is the most expensive. As of 3 October 2017, Oxfam had installed 100 water pumps in Kutupalong camp, as pictured here. WATER

TOILETS Toilets and the safe disposal of sewage (pee and poo) are essential to help avoid the spread of disease. These toilets are called latrines - the waste goes into a deep hole in the ground, rather than being flushed away. This makes them quicker, easier and cheaper to build. The type of toilet we build depends on many things, for example: culture, geology, available land, weather, and the length of time people will be using them. TOILETS

TOILETS 2 It is really important to think about the needs of specific groups of people. For example, are women’s toilets well lit and not too far away from their shelters, so they feel safe using them at night? It is also important to help people understand the new health risks they may face in the camp, so we provide public health education through fun things like role play, games and songs. Children learn essential information and pass it on to their families. The Bangladeshi government may set up a more formal camp at Kutupalong. We will also help to design the new camp to make sure water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities are in line with international humanitarian standards. TOILETS

How can you get involved to help keep people safe and healthy? Oxfam is responding now and has reached nearly 100,000 people. We have provided clean drinking water, portable toilets and sanitation facilities, plastic sheets, as well as other essential supplies. In total, we are planning to reach more than 200,000 people. Our incredible staff in Bangladesh and the region are doing whatever it takes to scale up our work and help the most vulnerable people in exceedingly tough conditions. We can support them by raising both awareness about the crisis and vital funds to help fund the response. You could organise a fundraising event in your school. Make it as creative and exciting as you can and provide yourself and your friends with the opportunity to learn new skills as you raise money. You could also learn and campaign with Oxfam to help create a fairer and more just world for everyone. If you’re at secondary school you can become an Oxfam Youth Ambassador. If you’re at primary school, ask your teacher to get in touch with us. HOW CAN YOU HELP?

THANK YOU!