Age and Disability Inclusion Needs Assessment. Rohingya Refugee Response

Over the past four decades, Rohingya refugees have been fleeing in successive waves to Bangladesh from Rakhine State, Myanmar. Since August 2017, an estimated 715,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh, where approximately 860,000 refugees are now residing in 34 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas. In response to this refugee influx, national and international organisations alongside the government of Bangladesh have been delivering humanitarian assistance. Within this context, a core component of the 2019 Joint Response Plan (JRP) was to ensure the meaningful and dignified inclusion of all at-risk groups, including persons with disabilities. Building upon these priorities, protection mainstreaming, including the equitable consideration and inclusion of individuals across all age groups and persons with disabilities, was incorporated into the 2020 JRP as a cross-cutting issue. While the heightened risk of persons with disabilities and older persons is generally recognized by affected populations and humanitarian actors alike, there remains a lack of data on disability prevalence across camps as well as on the needs, barriers and preferences of older persons and persons with disabilities; hindering effective evidence-based inclusive programming.