Internal Review: Bangladesh Population Movement Operation 2017

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has assisted people fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine State since the 1990s. In 2017 following repeated upsurges of violence, a massive influx of people from Rakhine triggered a major ‘Category Red’ emergency response operation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 1.2 million people are considered to be in need in the south-eastern Bangladesh districts of Cox’s Bazar (CXB) and Bandarban. More than 650,000 of these people have arrived since 25 August 2017. IFRC’s Population Movement Operation (PMO) assists 200,000 people with emergency relief and longer-term support. The PMO is currently transitioning from the surge phase to a longer-term structure. The PMO team intends to apply a ‘One Window Approach’ (OWA), allowing for the integration of various bilateral and multilateral contributions through a common plan of action for Movement partners, led by BDRCS. Given the protracted nature and political complexities of the operational context, it is likely that humanitarian needs will remain high. The path to recovery for people from Rakhine looks uncertain. All future scenarios require multi-year humanitarian assistance.