Nobel Peace laureates Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland, Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, and Iran’s Shireen Ebadi visited refugee settlements in Bangladesh to raise awareness about the plight of Rohingya refugees. The laureates’ visit took place as part of the Nobel Women’s Initiative.

In the past two weeks, 623 families living in flood-prone areas of Kutupalong were relocated to safer parts of the settlement. UNHCR is working closely with the government and other partners to prepare for the upcoming monsoon season.

UNHCR and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) launched a project to prevent dangerous encounters with elephants, which have resulted in at least 10 deaths in Kutupalong settlement. The highly congested site lies on one of the migratory routes for Asian elephants.

The voluntary repatriation program has been suspended on 30 November 2017 due to winter break and will resume on 1 March 2018

UNHCR teams continue to conduct protection monitoring and to identify protection incidents in settlements, facilitated by the use of complaint boxes and a hotline service that is open seven days a week. This week, UNHCR received almost 40 calls through the hotline, related to issues of family disputes, medical assistance, and violence. A tracking incidents system has been established and since the launch of the hotline on 3 January and 20 January, some 63 calls were referred to the appropriate services.

The first part of the relocation of refugee families from Bandarban to Kutupalong settlement was completed, with some 2,333 individuals relocated between 14 and 19 January 2018. The distribution of shelter kits and family counting for this group will continue during next few days. On 21 January 2018, the relocation of 6,637 refugees from Bandarban / Bor Shon Khola began and is expected to be completed within nine days. Partners continue to support UNHCR with logistical arrangements, including volunteers for the carrying of luggage, provision of hot meals and water, as well as medical and protection screening upon arrival to Kutupalong.

The 190 active community outreach members (COMs), which cover four areas of Kutupalong, including the makeshift, Nayapara extension area and Chakmarkul, have conducted over 150 home visits and more than 210 information sessions, reaching out to some 3,500 refugees. Forty cases under monitoring have been resolved after actions by COMs and partners this week.

UNHCR, in cooperation with TAI, has trained some 68 COMs, including 25 women, on SGBV identification, prevention and response in two areas of Kutupalong and in Nayapara’s makeshift settlement. More COMs will receive the same training in two other areas of Kutupalong in the coming week. In coordination with UNFPA, UNHCR, together with the Camp in Charges (CiCs) of six areas of Kutupalong settlement, including the makeshift, is developing a cohesive SGBV referral pathway that will assist SGBV survivors to safely reach professionals and institutions who are qualified to address their needs.

The new school year has started. So far, 7,082 refugee children, from the registered camps and the new settlements, are enrolled in primary education. The Department of Primary Education has provided children in Kutupalong registered camp with National Curriculum Textbooks. While enrolment is ongoing, 22 sessions were organized to sensitize communities on the start of the school year and education more broadly. Over 300 refugees participated

UNHCR and partners have constructed almost 60 latrines, 70 bathing cubicles and 6 tube wells in Kutupalong and Nyapara. There are now over 4,600 latrines, some 1,920 bathing cubicles and 910 tube wells installed in the settlements.