Warning: The magic method Vc_Manager::__wakeup() must have public visibility in /customers/d/b/2/rohingyapost.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/js_composer/include/classes/core/class-vc-manager.php on line 203 Deprecated: Required parameter $width follows optional parameter $attach_id in /customers/d/b/2/rohingyapost.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/js_composer/include/helpers/helpers.php on line 366 Deprecated: Required parameter $height follows optional parameter $attach_id in /customers/d/b/2/rohingyapost.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/js_composer/include/helpers/helpers.php on line 366 {"id":25352,"date":"2020-04-02T08:35:10","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T07:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rohingyapost.com\/?p=25352"},"modified":"2020-04-02T10:59:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-02T09:59:00","slug":"joint-letter-re-restrictions-on-communication-fencing-and-covid-19-in-coxs-bazar-district-rohingya-refugee-camps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rohingyapost.com\/joint-letter-re-restrictions-on-communication-fencing-and-covid-19-in-coxs-bazar-district-rohingya-refugee-camps\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Letter Re: Restrictions on Communication, Fencing, and COVID-19 in Cox\u2019s Bazar District Rohingya Refugee Camps"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dear Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,<\/p>\n
As authorities around the world struggle to cope with the spread of COVID-19, it is crucial that States act to protect the most vulnerable, including refugee populations.<\/p>\n
We, the 50 undersigned organizations, have welcomed the Bangladesh government\u2019s efforts to host the Rohingya refugees who were forced to flee atrocities perpetrated by the Myanmar Army. We also commend the Bangladesh Government for working closely with the humanitarian community on COVID-19 preparedness and response in Cox\u2019s Bazar District, including efforts to establish isolation and treatment facilities.<\/p>\n
Now we write to urge you to lift ongoing mobile internet restrictions and halt the construction of barbed wire fencing around the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox\u2019s Bazar District. These measures threaten the safety and well-being of the refugees as well as Bangladesh host communities and aid workers, in light of the growing COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads to Bangladesh, unrestricted access to information via mobile and internet communications is crucial for slowing the transmission of the disease and saving the lives of refugees, humanitarian workers, and the general population of Bangladesh. Lifting restrictions will not only enable community health workers to quickly share and receive the most reliable and up-to-date guidance during this evolving pandemic but will also help in coordination with community leaders. We urge you to ensure refugees, local communities, and aid workers alike can freely access mobile and internet communications, in the interest of protecting human rights and public health.<\/p>\n
Since September 2019, Bangladesh authorities have prevented Rohingya refugees from obtaining SIM Cards and directed telecommunications operators to restrict internet coverage in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox\u2019s Bazar District. According to Bangladesh\u2019s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mahbub Alam Talukder in Cox\u2019s Bazar, authorities have confiscated more than 12,000 SIM Cards from refugees since September and refugees report that, in some instances, authorities have prohibited the use of mobile phones altogether.<\/p>\n
These restrictions should be lifted in light of the government\u2019s recommendation to those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to contact the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, hotline. Without a phone or SIM Card, abiding by this instruction is impossible. Furthermore, without access to mobile and internet communications, aid workers and others will be forced to deliver critical health information in person, heightening their risk of exposure to COVID-19 and slowing the effectiveness of the response.<\/p>\n
Access to information is an essential component of an effective public health response to a pandemic. On March 19,\u00a0experts from the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe<\/a>\u00a0called on all governments to \u201censure immediate access to the fastest and broadest possible internet service\u201d in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that, \u201c[e]specially at a time of emergency, when access to information is of critical importance, broad restrictions on access to the internet cannot be justified on public order or national security grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to providing access to information, there is a critical need for the government to take extra precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of the refugees. On March 24, Commissioner Mahbub Alam Talukder\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0media that in response to the spread of COVID-19, \u201cAll activities will be suspended in every camp\u2026However, emergency services with respect to food, health, and medicine will continue as usual.\u201d The Bangladesh government should ensure that protective measures, including provision of sufficient personal protective equipment, are available for the aid workers and volunteers providing these essential services in accordance with the\u00a0Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s “Interim Guidance”<\/a>\u00a0on COVID-19 response operations in humanitarian settings.<\/p>\n During this time, the Government of Bangladesh should work in close collaboration with international humanitarian organizations and Rohingya-led groups to disseminate accurate and timely information on COVID-19 and mitigate the risk of the virus spreading into the camps and in adjacent host communities.<\/p>\n The government should further balance travel restrictions to ensure that additional humanitarian health workers can safely enter the country and camps without facing undue bureaucratic impediments.<\/p>\n