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IOM Bangladesh

Monthly Snapshot

August 2017

An estimated 38,000 Rohingya have crossed the border into Bangladesh

between 25 August and 31 August 2017, with strong indications that

hundreds of thousands more on the way

There were approximately 300,000 Rohingya living in makeshift settlements or

mixed with host communities throughout Bangladesh prior to October 2016.

Multiple outbreaks of unrest in October 2016 and August 2017 in the Rakhine

State of Myanmar triggered large influxes of Rohingya crossing into Bangladesh.

An estimated 38,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh between 25 and 31

August 2017, with strong indications that hundreds of thousands more would be

crossing the border in the coming weeks.

The newly arrived Rohingyas were sharing accommodation with other families in six

previous makeshift settlements and refugee camps, multiple spontaneous

settlements, and with host communities in Ukhia and Teknaf. They were in

immediate need of food, health services, WASH facilities, protection, and cash for

work modalities.

IOM responded immediately with distribution of high energy biscuits, construction

of basic sheds for temporary cover, directing extremely vulnerable individuals and

groups to communal shelters, and installation of water and sanitation facilities.

Mobilization of financial and human resources were prioritized to respond to the

unfolding crisis.

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Migration and Development

We are working towards strengthening migration management services in Bangladesh for regular, safe, and demand driven labour mobility.

Mainstreaming Migration

✓ A Technical Workshop on Migration and Development was organized on 24 August 2017 bringing together almost 40 representatives from Government, related agencies, development partners, NGOs, and CSOs. The workshop was organized as part of IOM-UNDP Global Joint Programme on “Mainstreaming Migration into National Development Strategies”. The workshop engaged key national stakeholders into discussion and formulation of a joint position on key results achieved by the country in mainstreaming migration into national development planning. The participants also identified priorities in migration mainstreaming and recommendations and ideas toward future interventions on Migration and Development (M&D).

✓ IOM started working towards mapping and scoping of services for the migrant workers at the various stages of labour migration cycle, identifying gaps and new services required for migrant workers through research and consultative meetings. Another research initiative is exploring possible discriminations faced by persons with disabilities in the labour migration process and also disabilities arising from working conditions to identify good practices to support workers with disabilities.

✓ IOM started working towards identifying labour market information needs through consultations with stakeholders including BMET, Recruitment Agents, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international and relevant foreign missions in Bangladesh, and migrant workers.

Skills Development

✓ Conducted assessment of returnee migrant workers to certify them as skilled workers under Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB). All seven participants passed the Plumbing Level 1 assessment to become certified plumber, 5 out of 7 passed as Mason and 4 out of 11 passed as Electrical Installation and Maintenance Person.

✓ A revised draft has been shared with BMET for their final feedback to finalize a National Action Plan (NAP) for Enhanced Skills and Qualifications Recognition for the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) and the Bureau of Manpower, Training, and Employment (BMET). The draft has also been shared with partner agency ILO for their inputs.

✓ Preparations are at an advanced stage to conduct a Career Counselling training program to train 18 career counsellors.

✓ A Tracer Study is underway to assess the actual impacts of skills development and job placement services. The focus will be on the effects of labour migrations process, costs, salary negotiations, and access to other benefits.

Migration Health

✓ A total of 37 survivors were identified and physically reached by the Outreach Workers and Community Coordination Team (CCT) members. Among them 35 (95%) were identified to have physical, psychological needs and all of them received referral cards, and finally 34 clients received healthcare services from the six Upazila health complex.

✓ 23 Social Action Learning Group (SALG) follow up meetings were conducted for enhancing self-esteem and social empowerment of human trafficking survivors.

✓ 23 Community Outreach Workers (COWs) conducted 575 awareness sessions and reached 11,780 people (1,252 children, 10,079 women, and 449 men) covering all 69 unions under six upazilas of two project districts for raising general awareness on the issues of human trafficking, its social and health consequences, health rights of survivors of human trafficking ,and available service facilities.

✓ A total of 40 trafficking survivors were trained in sewing and tailoring for economic empowerment and social reintegration.

✓ IOM MHAC Dhaka and Sylhet performed 1,461 health assessments in August 2017 for migrants travelling to various countries. Two cases were enrolled in TB treatment and one previously enrolled patient completed TB treatment under IOM DOTS during this month.

IOM Bangladesh

Monthly Snapshot

August 2017

3

Resilience and Social Protection

We are creating resilience through better social protection, livelihoods, employment opportunities, and contributing to the homecoming and sustainable reintegration of returnees.

Reintegration

✓ Divisional consultation on Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, And Regular Migration focusing on “Enhancing Well-being of Returnee Migrants through an Integrated Reintegration Approach" was held in Rajshahi division.

✓ In order to foster strengthened cooperation among government and non-government stakeholders with a view to enhance migration governance and strengthen reintegration efforts in Bangladesh in a coordinated manner, a Planning Consultation was held at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE), Dhaka. Honorable Secretary, MoEWOE was present as the Chief Guest.

✓ An Interactive Popular Theater (IPT) Preparation Workshop was organized by the implementing partner BRAC from 22 to 24 August, 2017. IPT shows, which will be staged at the Upazila level of the project working areas, aim to sensitize the communities on safe migration and reintegration issues of the returnee migrants.

✓ Profiling and selection of seven returnee women migrant workers in Narshingdi and 25 returnee migrant workers in Jhenaidah for Skills development and reintegration was completed. Reintegration assistance plans have been developed for 127 returnee migrants and 76 returnees have been identified to provide with skill certification and recognition of prior learning (RPL) in the same locations.

✓ A total of 6 workshops and meetings with the beneficiaries and business communities and other stakeholders were organized to identify community enterprise products. Two of these workshops were organized in Sirajganj and the other four in Jhenaidah.

✓ A two-day workshop on business plan development and management with the local

implementing partners was organized. Topics such as how to choose products for

communal/joint businesses and managing a business were discussed. The workshop

capacitated the implementing partners in developing ideas around how to

communicate leverage the media in their working areas to create awareness about

safe migration and the risks of unsafe migration.

Return

✓ A total of 39 returnees from Australia, Greece, Italy and Libya were provided

reintegration support, including assisting them in setting up micro enterprises

and/or cash assistance.

✓ Reception assistance—including immigration, baggage, customs, and, if

required, onward transportation—was provided to 100 returnees from Australia,

Greece and Libya.

✓ 14 outbound migrants were provided ticketing support.

Community Economic Development

✓ The second phase of the ‘Digital Island’ and a new project titled ‘Poverty

reduction through E-commerce platform in remote rural community’ that will be

jointly funded by Korea Telecom (KT) and Korea International Cooperation

Agency (KOICA) are going through internal and external endorsement processes

to commence shortly.

✓ Successfully completed the installation works of solar power panels in three

selected primary schools and the Moheshkhali health complex. Additionally,

installation work is ongoing to setup solar power facilities in another seven

schools, an IT center, and a community club.

✓ Established WiFi Zone in 22 selected locations in Moheshkhali.

✓ Fibre optics cable rearrangement work in different places was completed.

IOM Bangladesh

Monthly Snapshot

August 2017

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Humanitarian Assistance

We are responding to the priority needs of people affected by the mobility dimensions

of crisis in Cox’s Bazar, while building migration crisis management capacities of

stakeholders.

Health

✓ 25,383 cases were treated by IOM’s medical teams. Among them, 23,760 were out-

patients and 1,623 were admitted patients, with 550 cases referred to higher-level

healthcare facilities.

✓ 3,132 women received pregnancy related care, including 2,473 ANC, 413 PNC, and

246 deliveries. A total of 15,071 children and women were vaccinated.

✓ 1,147 healthcare outreach events were organized and participated by 27,371

individuals. Provided First Aid to 16,738 and psycho-social support to 167 individuals.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

✓ In Kutupalong, 10 DTWs, 861 meters of permanent drainage, and five biogas kitchen

construction work was completed. A total of 80 tube-wells repaired. Organized 13

camp clean-up campaigns and 32 hygiene awareness sessions.

✓ In Balukhali five DTWs and 76 solar street lights were installed. Organized five camp

clean-up campaigns and 30 hygiene awareness sessions, visited 73 households.

✓ In LMS, a total of 11 bathing sheds, 16 community kitchens, 39 latrine cubicles, and

10 taps were repaired. Regular water pumping, sedimentation, chlorination, and

distribution of 240,000 litres of water daily were ongoing.

✓ In Shamlapur, repaired six deep tube-wells, maintained 51 latrines and 45 wash

rooms, desludged 7 latrines. Organized 18 Para Development Committee (PDC)

meetings, 10 hygiene awareness sessions, and visited 409 households.

Gender Based Violence

✓ Assisted with 73 GBV cases through counselling services, consoling the victims,

discussing the various aspects and options with the persons involved, and referral to

other services. 76 dignity kits were distributed among the beneficiaries through

different health service points. Vulnerability assessments were carried out.

✓ Provided Psychological First Aid, Individual Psycho Social Support, case management,

counselling to the beneficiaries.

Emergency response / Shelter

✓ Distributed shelter materials among 200 HHs in Balukhali.

✓ Supported emergency distribution since the influx began.

✓ Completed Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) data collection to analyse areas to finetune and strengthen.

Communications with Communities (CwC)

✓ Shared a draft ‘Marker System’—to be used as a checklist in evaluating humanitarian response project proposals’ adherence to CwC principles and mechanisms—with humanitarian actors, donors, and the private sectors.

✓ Logged 88 responses in the Community Response Map (CRM) web portal, with many of the feedback related to seeking assistance.

✓ Complaints and queries received through Rohingya Helpline were relayed to relevant service providers to resolve the issues.

✓ Conducted four monthly Open Air Meetings in the settlements.

Capacity Building

✓ 23 participants attended in a workshop on ‘Preparation of Master Proposal, Result Matrix and Budget’ in Cox’s Bazar.

✓ 20 volunteers were trained in ‘Emergency Response’.

Needs and population Monitoring (NPM)

✓ Finalized the round 4 NPM report and disseminated widely.

✓ Data collection started for the round 5 report covering many more locations.

Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG)

✓ Released monthly Situation Report (Sit Rep) and daily operational reports in the ISCG website

✓ Produced different maps and uploaded those on the ISCG portal.

IOM Bangladesh

Monthly Snapshot

August 2017

5

Countering Irregular Migration

We are working towards raising awareness and enhancing law enforcement

effectiveness and good governance to counter human trafficking, human smuggling,

and related unlawful activities.

Awareness Raising

✓ To create awareness about safe migration, 15 courtyard meetings were organized

and participated by over 400 people in Cox’s Bazar, Narshingdi, Sirajganj, and

Jhenaidah. Four day-long orientation sessions were organized for potential migrants

in Narshingdi, Sirajganj, and Jhenaidah, and two meetings were organized with the

group leaders/representatives on safe migration to help disseminate knowledge

about safe migration in the community. Additionally, 10 meetings were organized

involving people from the community at the upazila level, to create awareness

about preventing unsafe migration.

✓ A planning meeting on strengthening Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) was

organized by IOM, held at the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training

(BMET), Bangladesh. The meeting was attended by 19 key stakeholders.

✓ Organized a two-day orientation workshop for all implementing partners (NGO and

Theatre Partners) attended by 40 participants. The objective of the workshop was to

make partners familiar with the thematic areas of migration, project deliverables

and communication tools for preparing a future plan of action.

✓ Project implementation agreement with all four NGO partners was signed.

✓ Rights Jessore (NGO partner) organized an orientation session with religious

leaders, Union Parishad members, and school teachers in Jessore.

✓ Rupantar (theatre partner) organized a content development workshop in

Jessore, attended by 35 key stakeholders from government, lawyers, Local

Elected bodies (LEBs), civil society, NGOs, and religious leaders from Jessore

and Jhenaidah district and also IOM representatives. The workshop gathered

recommendations for formulating messages on safe migration.

✓ A social media competition was launched on Facebook, aiming to collect

stories of successful and unsuccessful migration to showcase the risks,

challenges, and barriers of the migration process. These personal accounts will

be used to develop storylines for media outreach tools.

IOM Bangladesh

Monthly Snapshot

August 2017