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Post-Distribution Monitoring: Shelter and Non-Food Items, Rohingya Refugee Response Bangladesh (September 2021)

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Bangladesh
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UNHCR
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More than 900,000 Rohingya refugees are living in extremely congested camps in Cox’s Bazar,
Bangladesh. Most of them were forced to flee from violence and persecution in Myanmar in August 2017. Since their arrival in Bangladesh, they have been dependent on humanitarian aid for their survival, including food, core-relief items, shelter and other basic services. Additionally, more than half of all Rohingya refugees (nearly 51%) are children.

As part of a joint interagency response, UNHCR has been providing non-food items and shelter support to Rohingya refugees since 2017. Having provided households with initial shelter kits upon arrival,
UNHCR is now supporting families providing the necessary materials to maintain their shelters and cover basic needs. From January to the end of August 2021, UNHCR distributed Upgraded Shelter Kits (USKs) consisting of muli-type² and borak-type³ bamboo poles, rope, plastic tarpaulins, sandbags and toolkits to 90,569 families. These kits allow them to reinforce their shelters during the harsh monsoon season. As of August 2021, UNHCR had also provided shelter repair items and shelter replacement assistance to 9,993 households, and distributed Tie-Down Kits⁴ (TDK) to 87,894 households. During the same period, UNHCR also distributed 726 Core Relief Item kits to newly arrived refugee families. Each such kit includes tarpaulins for shelter construction, a kitchen set, blanket, jerry can, bucket, sleeping mat and solar lamp.

To prevent the use of firewood and deliver a greener and safer cooking fuel, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) was introduced as the main source of energy for households in all camps since 2021. As of August 2021, over 90,000 refugee families received a LPG cylinder and regular refills. Additionally, more than 17,000 Bangladeshi households from the nearby communities also received LPG cylinders and refills.

UNHCR conducts Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) to collect refugees’ feedback on the quality, sufficiency, utilization, and effectiveness of the assistance we provide, which helps improve and adapt the services as per the refugees’ needs. This is crucial, as UNHCR, in close collaboration with its partner organizations and other humanitarian actors, continues to support the Government of Bangladesh in responding to the refugee situation in Cox’s Bazar by ensuring relief items are prepositioned and available to be delivered to the most vulnerable households in a timely manner.
Facilities for the distribution of materials have been upgraded in the camps. Furthermore, the introduction of the Global Distribution Tool in 2020 has significantly improved the distribution process, reducing waiting times, speeding up the recognition of beneficiaries and allowing for immediate confirmation of households and identity of refugees through the joint UNHCR-Government of Bangladesh registration process.

The humanitarian situation in Cox’s Bazar has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, only critical activities approved by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner are possible in the camps. UNHCR continues to provide critical services focusing on Protection, Health, WASH, nutrition, fuel support (LPG), distribution of non-food items, and other activities, including continuous communication with the community. Restrictions, however, have impacted the distribution process and hindered the regular Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM). The PDM initially planned in April 2021, was delayed due to the lockdown imposed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to be conducted in September of the same year, instead.