'Rohingya influx creating hardships in Cox's Bazar'

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SM Najmus Sakib

09.04.2019

DHAKA, Bangladesh
 
Refugee settlements depriving local community of cropland and forest resources

 Local residents of Bangladesh’s Cox's Bazar district are facing increased insecurity in food and other resources due to the influx of Rohingya refugees, according to a report.

The refugee influx has aggravated the already fragile situation in one of the poorest and most vulnerable districts in Bangladesh, where most local households derive their livelihoods from farming plots of around a hectare or less and/or fishing, said the Global Network Against Food Crises, which was launched in 2016 by the European Union, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Alarming level of food insecurity for locals.

The Daily Star

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Rohingya influx affecting poor communities in Cox's Bazar

Rohingya refugees queue for aid in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. PHOTO: REUTERS/CATHAL MCNAUGHTON

According to a global report titled “2019 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC)”, the locals in Cox's Bazar are facing an uphill struggle due to the influx of Rohingya refugees. The poor have lost access to farmlands, fishing grounds and forest resources and many have been forced to opt to work as day labourers. But given the availability of cheap labour from the refugee camps, wage rates have also plummeted and demand for food has pushed up prices. The net result of all these factors is one where locals now have less access to basic services and where staples cost more than what they can afford.