Preliminary Appeal Target: US$675,445
Balance Requested: US$675,445
Geneva, May 24, 2013
Dear Colleagues,
The conflict in Rakhine State started in June 2012 and resurged in October 2012 resulting in significant displacement. As of the beginning of April 2013, the number of people displaced in Rakhine State is at least 139,107. Approximately 111,000 IDPs are residing in Government designated camps while the rest are living in tents or with host families.
The situation got aggravated for the IDPs during the threat of cyclone Mahasen. The already vulnerable displaced people living in makeshift shelters on low lands and in paddy fields in coastal areas had to be evacuated and some might be further relocated both because of the threats of cyclones and floods, but also due to the systematic ethnic segregation of Buddhists and Muslims. The most vulnerable are the Muslim groups known as Rohyinga that are effectively stateless despite the fact that some have lived in Myanmar for generations as they are not one of the 135 recognised ethnicities of Myanmar.
The living conditions of the IDPs remain far below international standards ten months after entering the camp. Basic services such as Shelter, NFIs, WASH, Food and Nutrition, health services and Education are insufficient; and access to, psychosocial support and fire protection services are almost non-existent. Access to livelihoods and basic services has been further complicated by prolonged displacement, restricted movements and uncertainty among the IDPs - who are living in isolated villages. Shelter for undocumented IDPs, many living in thatched straw huts and tents at the margins of official camps, is urgently needed, as the monsoon season has already started in May.
This appeal will address the acute relief and recovery needs of the IDPs through the components of Education, Psychosocial support, Fire safety and Relief Assistance. The appeal intends to cover 85,360 Muslim individuals.