Study of the response to the Rohingya crisis in Cox’s Bazaar (Bangladesh) for the Disasters Emergency Committee

This mass displacement of refugees was triggered by human rights violations and violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Villages were burned down, parents and relatives were killed in front of traumatized children, and women and girls were raped or brutalized.

The Government of Bangladesh responded rapidly upon the arrival of the Rohingya refugees, notably by allocating 23.5 km2 of land in the Cox’s Bazar area and provided assistance and continued support stretching across a wide range of Government departments.

On 4th October 2017, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella group of fourteen leading UK aid agencies, launched a successful appeal for funds which raised over £30 million.

The DEC now wants to look back at the different programmes that were supported by the fund, to identify lessons for future similar responses, whether in Bangladesh or in another context.

The main purpose of the meta-synthesis is ‘to provide an accessible narrative synthesis of the main findings highlighted in DEC members’ MEL-related reports, with particular emphasis on areas of convergent findings and indicative learning points. This will serve as learning for the DEC, DEC members and the humanitarian sector more widely.’

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