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.

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.

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.