UN immunizes Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh 

United Nations, Nov 11 (IANS) The United Nations and the Bangladeshi government are stepping up efforts to immunize Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps and makeshift shelters, as the number of suspected measles cases is on the rise, said the UN on Friday.

Measles, a childhood killer disease which can be particularly dangerous among unimmunised and malnourished children, is one of the major health risks for the refugees who have fled their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, said the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, Xinhua reported.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Rohingya refugees continue to flee into Bangladesh, although at a slower rate than in previous weeks.

As of Wednesday, 613,000 refugees had arrived in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, since August 25, when attacks by Rohingya rebels on Myanmar police and security posts touched off retribution.

More than half of new arrivals are staying in the Kutupalong-Balukhali expansion site, which merges several pre-existing settlements with new land allocated by the Bangladeshi government, said OCHA.

As of Friday, the Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Plan has received $143.5 million, or a third of requirements. Donors pledged a total of $360 million for the response last month, and the United Nations urges donors to disburse this money as quickly as possible.

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