General Protection and Counter Trafficking

Protection Monitoring: The protection team regularly collects and analyses information, obtained through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and block level monitoring on protection risks, incidents, and trends. This data will be used to identify specific protection needs and vulnerabilities of affected populations, including assessing risks related to physical safety, access to basic services, discrimination, exploitation, and other forms of harm. The data will also support early warning analysis, advocacy and accountability efforts, programme design and adaptation, and policy development.

Case Management: Identify, refer, and follow up on cases to support vulnerable households or individuals with protection needs. Provide individualized assistance to particularly vulnerable Rohingya refugees and support them in addressing registration; housing, land, and property rights (HLP); and access to services. Provide case management services and support for victims of trafficking (VoTs), including providing integrated psychosocial support, legal assistance, shelter support, and cash for work opportunities to stabilize their situation in the community and prevent re-trafficking.

Community-Based Protection Networks (CBPNs): Continue to strengthen community-based protection mechanisms through a network of dedicated Rohingya volunteers and committed community protection committee (CPC) members. CBPNs engage in a range of vital protection activities, including safe referrals, outreach efforts, and risk mitigation strategies—all facilitated through consistent information-sharing and close engagement. Regularly update information, education, and communication (IEC) materials, based on feedback from refugees, and in collaboration with partners, volunteers, and CPC members; this ensures that resources remain not only informative but also highly relevant and impactful. Conduct outreach activities on counter-trafficking and human smuggling to prevent, sensitize, and develop a sustainable prevention mechanism through community-based mobilization.

Capacity-Building and Protection Mainstreaming: Conduct capacity-building activities on general protection and counter-trafficking in accordance with national legislation and the Government’s National Plan of Action for Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking 2018-2022 (Updated to 2023 – 2025). This involves providing support to government Counter-Trafficking Committee members, local administration, law enforcement agencies, justice mechanisms, Rohingya community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders, engaging them in efforts to prevent trafficking and empower victims with safety, dignity, and opportunities. Conduct regular refresher training on protection mainstreaming principles and inclusive techniques for IOM staff, volunteers, and partners to enhance beneficiaries’ meaningful access to humanitarian services, ensuring that IOM activities do no harm, and that participation, empowerment, and accountability are reflected throughout the intervention.

Disaster Preparedness and Response: Contribute technical expertise on protection to disaster preparedness and emergency response by collaborating with camp-based sectors and agencies, with a focus on addressing the unique needs of extremely vulnerable individuals (EVI). Serve as a focal point in the protection emergency response units (PERUs) to assist refugees in re-establishing meaningful access to humanitarian services following a disaster.

Gender Based Violence

IOM will continue to provide a comprehensive gender-based violence (GBV) programme supporting refugees and host communities in Ukhiya and Teknaf sub-districts centred around three pillars 1) survivor-centred support 2) risk mitigation and 3) addressing root causes that perpetuate GBV in line with IOM’s Institutional Framework for Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Crises.

Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS): IOM directly implements case management providing multisectoral support via nine WGSS across eight sites and through its emergency safe shelter serving survivors of GBV and human trafficking. To mitigate risks, prevent GBV, and empower women and girls, the WGSS provides information, age-appropriate and structured psychosocial support, awareness and educational activities, life-skills curriculum, skills training and opportunities, and forums for two-way information-sharing and learning. IOM will organize sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and GBV core concept training for the stakeholders to increase knowledge and understanding on GBV and to facilitate safe referral for survivors of GBV. IOM will also conduct risk and safety mapping sessions with women and girls to understand the GBV risks and safety concerns around them. IOM will preposition dignity items for Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), and distributing it to at-risk women and girls.

Community Engagement and Capacity-Building: Ensure sustainability and localization by scaling up capacity-building with community volunteers to develop key WGSS and outreach activities. IOM will further focus on engaging with men and boys through evidence-based programming such as Engaging Men Through Accountable Practices (EMAP) to ensure positive practices and behaviour to prevent GBV from happening. Such initiatives will enhance community ownership and accountability to address the root causes of gender inequality and bring positive social changes in harmful behaviours and practices related to GBV. To garner inclusivity, IOM will work closely with the protection research sub-unit to develop evidence-based curriculum for men, boys, women, girls and persons with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). Such strategies will ensure safe and non-stigmatizing entry points to GBV services for male survivors and those with diverse SOGIESC.

Child Protection

Community-Based Child Protection: Strengthen and enhance the capacity of families and communities to care for and protect children with the participation and inclusion of children and youth by supporting community-based child protection committees, adolescents’ committees, parent groups and change maker groups.

Awareness-Raising: Continue to raise awareness and sensitize community members on key child protection issues to support the mitigation and identification of child protection risks in the community and camps with the overall goal of strengthening the protective environment.

Provision of Psychosocial Support (PSS) by the Child Protection Team: Through mobile child-friendly spaces/adolescent groups, ensure safe access to age-appropriate, disability-inclusive and gender-sensitive structured psychosocial, recreational, and cultural activities for boys and girls. Organize positive parenting sessions for caregivers, including caregivers of children with disabilities. Provide traditional skills training for adolescents to keep and maintain their Rohingya culture alive along with their improvement of resilience.    
 
Integrated Child Protection Case Management Services: Provide vulnerable children at risk of harm and survivors of abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation with specialized services in caring for child survivors of GBV, trafficking, unaccompanied and separated children, and children with disabilities.   

Capacity-Building Support: Build and support community-based protection committees to identify risks, gaps and barriers to accessing services. Groups will be formed at the block level separately for children and ensure equal participation, including for children with disabilities. Community-led initiatives will be developed to raise awareness, mitigate or address child protection issues. Furthermore, majhis (Group leaders in Rohingya term), imams, teachers, and humanitarian partners will be supported with capacity-building on prevention and response, principles, identification, and referral mechanisms to support child protection system strengthening. Menstrual health education will also be provided through peer-based models building on the findings of IOM’s summary report "Ma Boinor Rosom" or “Mother and Sister’s Ways” and its related curriculum.

Operation and Maintenance: Upgrade, operate, maintain, and monitor existing water supply systems in the camps under IOM WASH’s area of responsibility (AoR). Procure materials and equipment for latrine maintenance; desludging; wastewater transfer, disinfection and treatment; and monitoring of functionality.

Improved Access to Water Services: Continue the operation and maintenance (O&M) of existing water supply systems including hand-pumps and pipe networks in IOM AoR camps 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 and 20 Extension. Five existing water supply systems in camps 9, 13, and 20 Extension will be upgraded by increasing the solar power generation system to improve the abstraction capacity and to reduce fuel consumption. IOM will procure, replenish, and replace the emergency stocks for cyclones, fires, floods or other emergency responses.

Access to Sanitation: To ensure dignified and safe access to latrine facilities, continue to upgrade the existing poorly functioning latrine facilities with gender-inclusive and disability-related features in consultation with the community. IOM will continue the durable latrine construction work to cover sanitation gaps in targeted host communities in Ukhiya. Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) will be built, the lime-based faecal sludge treatment plants and sludge separation unit (SSU) will be converted to the DEWATS system to meet faecal sludge treatment gaps and reduce the consumption of lime. To ensure appropriate waste segregation at source, IOM will maintain community mobilization and awareness activities, and follow-up at the household-level. IOM will produce compost from household organic waste, which will be distributed among beneficiary families to encourage kitchen gardening.

Hygiene Promotion and Community Engagement: In coordination with the WASH Sector, provide critical supplies of hygiene items (soap, water containers, menstrual hygiene management materials, dental kits, etc.) with community education and mobilization activities at the community level. The community will be further engaged in O&M of WASH facilities, waste segregation, and prevention of communicable and waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever. Real-time service monitoring and community feedback mechanisms will be continued and strengthened throughout the project period.

IOM seeks to enhance access to essential healthcare addressing the main causes of mortality and morbidity among the Rohingya refugees and host communities in line with the Health Sector Strategic Plan 2023-2024.

Essential Health Services: Provide services at 38 health facilities – 14 primary healthcare centres (PHCs), 18 health posts, 3 hospitals and 2 infectious disease treatment centers) standardized and aligned to the Minimum Package of Essential Health Services including emergency care, outpatient care, routine immunization, communicable disease control, non-communicable disease interventions, palliative care, laboratory services and sexual and reproductive health services. The health facilities will be equipped with an adequate number of healthcare workers, essential medicines, and equipment along with quality improvement measures.

Emergency Referral System: Continue to support an emergency referral system comprising of a medical referral unit, 14 ambulances and provision of referral cost support for acute life-saving conditions. IOM will support three secondary hospitals (two health complexes and a Friendship Maternity Centre) as well as upgrade the services at PHCs.

Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH): Comprehensive SRH services including antenatal care; postnatal care; facility-based deliveries including caesarean sections, menstrual regulation and post abortion care, and syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS; family planning counselling; services with a focus on long acting and reversible contraceptives; and adolescent sexual reproductive health services (ASRH) will be integrated into supported health facilities. Quality basic (BEmONC) and comprehensive (CEmONC) emergency obstetric and newborn care services with emergency obstetric referral pathways will be strengthened to mitigate maternal and perinatal morbidities and mortalities. GBV, including intimate partner violence (IPV), prevention and risk mitigation services will be strengthened by community sensitization and awareness-raising on the harmful effects of GBV and available services, engagement of key community stakeholders and gatekeepers including male members and in-laws for positive attitude transformation and behaviour change, and clinical management of rape (CMR) and IPV services for survivors will be integrated within existing health facilities with facilitated safe and confidential referrals along the established referral pathways. Integration of SRH services to existing protection services including WGSS and MHPSS service delivery points will be strengthened through the ‘one stop shop’ modality of service provision by deployment of midwives to existing WGSS and GBV case workers in identified health facilities.
 
Community Engagement: Continue to work with the existing network of 400 community health workers (CHWs) for health promotion, improving preventive and health seeking behaviour, and community-based surveillance. CHWs will be the frontline workers for household visits, community engagement sessions and engagement with community opinion leaders. CHWs will support health promotion, disease prevention, targeted curative services and risk communication and community engagement with a special focus on communicable diseases, such as diphtheria, dengue, vector-borne diseases, and other emerging and emergency health conditions. They will also actively engage men and boys in promoting SRH rights for women and girls and conduct community referrals including pregnant mothers for facility-based deliveries, immunization, and to address high rate of home deliveries in the camp.

Mobile Medical Teams (MMTs): Strengthen Mobile Medical Teams to be able to support during emergency response, including health emergencies, cyclones, heavy monsoons and fires. IOM will also increase the capacity of PHCs and selected health posts on mass casualty incident management through training and provision of medical equipment and supplies. IOM will continue facilitating coordination of the emergency health response by co-chairing the Health Sector Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) technical committee and leading the MMT Technical Working Group.

Health Infrastructural Activities: Undertake retrofitting and infrastructural adaptation activities for the PHCs, infectious disease treatment centres (IDTC) and health posts as required, to prevent and/or withstand climate hazards. This will help health care facilities to remain operational at optimal scale during and after shocks and/or disease outbreaks to protect the health of the affected communities.

Alternative Power System: On the basis of a power assessment in each facility, equip each health facility with supplementary sustainable solar energy. The power system and the infrastructure will be adapted to ensure adequate backup coverage during monsoons and other climate hazards for the continuation of all critical services and equipment.

Waste Zone: Protect the environment, the community, and the healthcare/sanitation workers from exposure to biomedical waste, IOM will support the establishment and renovation of waste zones at prioritized camps. The waste zones will manage organic and inorganic wastes at the site of generation in an environmentally sustainable way. 

HEALTH SERVICES IN BHASAN CHAR

Essential Healthcare: Provide access to essential healthcare that will address the main causes of mortality and morbidity among Rohingya refugees in Bhasan Char Island. Health facilities to be supported will comprise one primary healthcare centre and one hospital. The range of services to be provided includes outpatient and inpatient curative care, routine immunization, essential non-communicable disease interventions, systematic detection of acute malnutrition among children between six to 59 months and pregnant and lactating women, and referral for treatment, comprehensive integrated sexual and reproductive health services, GBV prevention and response services.

Secondary Healthcare: Support the 20-bed hospital on the island, specialists will be deployed with a specific focus on strengthening emergency obstetric care services to comprehensive emergency obstetric care levels and laboratory and diagnostic capacity. Human resource support includes the deployment of gynaecologists, surgeons, anaesthesiologists, among others. Referrals for emergency lifesaving care not available on the island and for selected elective cases will be undertaken through the existing emergency referral system supported by the health sector, and patients will be referred from health facilities on the island to Noakhali Sadar District Hospital.

Community Engagement and Risk Communication: Deploy CHWs to improve general health status, health seeking behaviour, and linking community members to health facilities through promotive and preventive health outreach activities.

Integration of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Services into Health Facilities: Strengthen the integration of MHPSS services into health facilities with community outreach mobile services and facilitation of community referral and support systems. MHPSS services will be provided to Rohingya and host communities at health facilities through psychoeducation and awareness-raising sessions, individual and group counselling, case management, support to persons with moderate to severe mental health conditions, and facilitation of referrals to specialized services provided by psychiatrists and doctors trained and supervised in Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) through a functioning referral and follow-up system.

Community-Based MHPSS Approach: Continue to implement community level MHPSS services through various evidence-based interventions including art, ritual and celebration, sport and play activities, home visits and community, social, relational healing services as part of strengthening family and community support.

Running of the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre (RCMC): RCMC will continue to deliver psychosocial support through art therapy, protection and skills development activities led by creative practitioners and staff trained in MHPSS to provide the Rohingya community with the tools and platform to tell their story. The RCMC strives to function as a vehicle to not only preserve Rohingya’s rich culture, but also to adapt and enhance its expression, contributing towards strengthening their collective identity. Expand the integration of mental health services into all levels of health care and facilitate access to and utilization of comprehensive mental health services, ensure availability of psychotropic drugs in the health care service centres, provide support services for caregivers of persons with mental health conditions through a multisectoral approach, and support the recovery process of people suffering from mental health conditions through familial, social and institutional rehabilitation.

Capacity-Building Initiatives for Community Ownership: Continue to support community-led activities through the facilitation of community support groups and the provision of capacity-building to volunteers and other community members. Training on different MHPSS topics, such as psychological first aid and lay-counselling, will empower community members to provide support to their own communities and will strengthen referral pathways.

MHPSS SERVICES IN BHASAN CHAR

MHPSS services will be integrated into essential health services at the facility level. Health facilities supported will be one primary healthcare centre and one hospital with specialist psychiatric human resource deployed to support persons requiring specialized support. At the community level, MHPSS services will be implemented through various evidence-based interventions in line with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines and IOM community-based MHPSS approach including support groups, socio-relational activities, creative and art activities, ritual and celebration activities, sport and play activities and self-awareness sessions.

Promote the integration of mental health at the primary care level and enhance social inclusion and integration by facilitating access to MHPSS within the community using evidence-based interventions.

IOM will continue to support efforts of the Government of Bangladesh to enhance rights-based migration management, including preventing transnational organized crime and strengthening migration protection through humanitarian border management. Specifically, capacity-building activities will be conducted to promote legislation and policy development, fostering intra- and inter-agency cooperation at the national and regional levels, and strengthening infrastructure. To this end, IOM will support to:

• Train national authorities in assessing migration movements and migration legislation, civil registration services (registration and collection of data, screening, identification and referral) and policies related to identity, temporary entry, health requirements, migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and migrants in need of protection.
• Support border patrol/rescue missions, joint border patrolling exercises, migration protection and referral training for border officials.
• Support the establishment of standard procedures to assist in the delivery of aid, including goods and equipment, and access for humanitarian workers at the border.

Shelter

Pre-positioning and distributing shelter materials and household items:Continue to provide direct assistance to shelters affected by heavy rain, wind, monsoon, cyclone, fire, and relocation. This assistance will include pre-positioning materials, supporting pipelines, verifying damage, and distributing shelter materials such as tie-down kits and construction support.

Provision of materials for upgrading transitional shelters, technical assistance, including IEC, and training: The Shelter Upgrade and Maintenance (SUM) is the fourth phase of transitional shelter assistance, which involves constructing and upgrading transitional shelters. SUM aims to offer durable shelter materials, training, and technical assistance to the camps that IOM supports. To ensure that each shelter obtains the required materials, a voucher approach will be implemented based on the condition of the shelter. Technical training will also be provided to the beneficiaries to learn about the repair and maintenance of shelters, focusing on disaster risk reduction (DRR) techniques, identification of damages, and how to use existing and received materials for strengthening the shelters. The trained trainers will use IEC materials to impart knowledge to the beneficiaries.

Design and set-up/construction of transitional shelters: Continue efforts to rebuild transitional shelters for households affected by fire and newly arrived and relocated households. The available shelter plots will carry out these efforts per the site plans. IOM will continue repairing the mid-term shelters (MTS) in Camp 20 and 20 Extension. In addition, IOM will start rebuilding the MTS built during 2021-2023 after the fire in Camps 8E, 9, 16, and 24. These repairs will cover the caseloads implemented by IOM and its Common Pipeline Partner.

Furthermore, provide additional support to vulnerable households through construction and porter support whenever shelter and non-food item (NFI) assistance is given.

Provision of alternative shelter construction materials: Continue to treat borak bamboo at the bamboo treatment facility (BTF) for use in shelter construction and other facilities and ensure shelter actors have access to BTF.

Market-based interventions, including voucher assistance for distribution of NFI and household Items: Manage and ensure a voucher-based NFI system with an increased range of items enabling families to choose as per specific needs and provide household-level solar lanterns to support the dignity and safety of refugees. Before distribution, orientation on how to use and maintain the solar lantern will be conducted, and repair and maintenance support for the solar lantern will be provided. IOM is committed to providing rapid assistance to host community beneficiaries living in adjoining camp areas. For those within camp boundaries, essential emergency NFIs will be provided, along with solar lanterns to improve lighting access, enhancing safety and well-being for refugees and host communities. This proactive approach reflects IOM's commitment to supporting these communities during transitions in their living conditions.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Supported by safe access to fuel and energy (Safe) plus a joint programme. SAFE Plus 2 is a joint programme between IOM, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR to ensure that refugees and host communities become more climate-resilient and food-secure as well as less exposed to GBV and disaster risk through sustained access to cleaner cooking energy, improved natural resource management and skills development and livelihoods. IOM co-leads the strategic priority on access to cleaner energy of the SAFE Plus 2 joint programme.

LPG refills: Continue the provision of LPG cooking fuel at the household level, covering 17 camps in IOM’s AoR to contribute to food and nutrition security. The distribution of LPG reduces health risks and exposure to GBV and environmental impacts. It further reduces the risk of immediate tensions and conflicts between refugees and host communities over firewood collection. Refilling cylinders will continue to be tailored to household family size.
 
LPG cooking stove replacement and repairs: Continue replacing the damaged cooking stoves with new ones. Simultaneously, IOM will strengthen the capacity of the Rohingya community to repair cooking stoves by providing relevant training and spare parts.

Fire safety training: The overcrowded camps and use of temporary shelter materials and cooking fuels heighten vulnerability to fire incidents. To mitigate these risks, the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies have taken essential measures to ensure the fire safety of refugees and host community populations. IOM will continue training all beneficiaries on the safe use of cooking fuels and efficient cooking methods while promoting conversation during LPG distribution and refilling. The deployment of safety volunteers across the camps will continue, as will the implementation of a consolidated response mechanism enabling rapid action in case of a fire hazard.

Coordination of sector and technical working groups:  As part of the sector's revised shelter focal point system, IOM will appoint catchment focal points in all catchment areas to improve coordination during emergencies through better communication and response.

Service Coordination and Site Management Support: Increase coordination among different service providers by implementing service monitoring to highlight gaps, prioritize facilities and services in need, and avoid duplication of efforts. Continue to strengthen the multi-hazard emergency preparedness and response efforts at the camp and catchment levels for monsoons and cyclones through relevant disaster-related information-gathering and sharing with disaster management committees and the camp stakeholders.

Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP): Reinforce coordination, advocacy, and technical support through mainstreaming CwC and AAP principles and standards across different sectors and stakeholders. Strengthen community engagement, community-led programming, community awareness, and information-sharing through complaints and feedback referral mechanisms (CFRMs), block engagement programmes, youth engagement, and Common Feedback Platform (CFP) reporting. Contribute to response-wide harmonization through active participation, membership, and leading role in the AAP TWG. Identify and prioritize site development (SD) areas using a consultative process and ensure inclusion of women, vulnerable groups, and PWDs for meaningful participation.

Community Participation and Empowerment: Enhance participation and inclusion through existing age-gender-disability groups. Strengthen the Women’s Participation Project for increased women’s empowerment, and leadership. Ensure meaningful engagement of youth in camp activities. Empower committees and continue to pursue legitimate representation across camps. Additionally, continue to ensure adequate access to referral services and IOM cash-for-work interventions for vulnerable households.

Access and Safety:  Improving access and safety within the camp is paramount. This involves enhancing living conditions and mitigating natural hazard risks through the improvement and maintenance of civil infrastructure, including access roads, pathways, staircases, bridges, and stabilization measures. Site development for new shelter designs and the upgrading of existing infrastructure, such as roads, stairways, and bridges, will be prioritized to ensure all-weather access. The installation of solar streetlights, based on identified gaps and in consultation with communities, will further contribute to overall safety.

Capacity Sharing/Training: Contribute to the Site Management and Site Development (SMSD) Sector capacity sharing initiative by training government staff deployed to support the Camp-in-Charges (CiCs) in daily camp management activities.

Needs and Population Monitoring (NPM) will continue providing data for action to support evidence-based humanitarian decision-making and prioritization by tracking needs and vulnerabilities among the Rohingya refugee and host communities in Cox’s Bazar. Through NPM’s broad information management framework, service providers are able to access and make use of comprehensive information on the needs and vulnerabilities of all affected populations.

1. Thematic research and studies: Continue to conduct sector-specific assessments, including protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) assessments in close collaboration and direct consultation with the sector and key stakeholders to inform programming and operational decisions by providing evidence-based information.
2. Emergency preparedness and response:   

   A. Continue to conduct joint needs assessments (JNA) to inform immediate response in the event of large-scale incidents, as well as to provide information on the multi-sectoral needs of the affected Rohingya refugees in all the camps and host communities. The information generated from these assessments will be used for evidence-based programming and decision-making.

   B. Continue to provide technical support to Shelter-CCCM sector daily incident assessment and produce daily/weekly reports and datasets to convey key information on the impact and damages caused by weather-related and man-made incidents across the camps to support a timely and adequate response.

3. Joint Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (J-MSNA): Continue to engage and join the multi-sectoral needs assessment to provide an evidence base to inform the Joint Response Plan (JRP) to complement sector-driven interventions.
4. Ad-hoc services: Continue to provide support to the sector/organization with specific information for better decision-making and better prioritization of community needs. This includes support to the facility rationalization process.
5. GIS and drone support: Conduct unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights over Rohingya refugee settlements, collect imagery to create maps for humanitarian actors, visualize site conditions, and monitor site development, expansion and hazards. UAV footage will be used to provide updates and produce camp imageries to foster a better understanding among stakeholders of various operational and strategic needs. The digital elevation model will be used to create updated landslide and flood risk analysis maps.
6. Macro-site planning (MSP) dashboard: In close collaboration with the Shelter-CCCM sector’s MSP team, continue to monitor and map facilities and infrastructures by developing and maintaining an interactive portal to ensure coherent response and service coverage.
7. Shelter addressing system: This is a system to generate addresses by creating a unique number (IDs) for every shelter to assist in more accurate and efficient service provision, tracking the shelters and improving camp monitoring by identifying the distribution of shelter and facilities within camps. Additionally, this system will enable partners to precisely assess hazard exposures and to ensure that future services are adapted and shaped based on the actual distribution of shelters.

In 2024, IOM will continue to contribute staff in to the ISCG Secretariat and in the Shelter-Camp Coordination and Camp Management (S-CCCM Sector). IOM will also continue to provide operational and administrative support to the Secretariat. In 2024, activities will focus primarily on the following:

SEG and HoSO: Support the SEG and Heads of Sub Office (HoSO) in Cox’s Bazar to make decisions on key policy, security and operational challenges, informed by protection considerations.

Joint Response Plan (JRP): Support with the JRP planning cycle, needs overviews and analysis, strategic planning, appeals (including contingency), and needs monitoring and reporting.

Access analysis: Analyse access constraints and engage relevant stakeholders to address them.

Information management: Manage data and information in support of humanitarian decision-making, advocacy, and public information, resulting in regular information products.

Beneficiary-centred: Work with sectors and humanitarian partners to strengthen AAP and understanding of community capacities and preferences.

Networks and working groups:  Support the Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse network, the Transfers Working Group (cash and vouchers), the Emergency Preparedness Working Group, the Information Management and Assessments Working Group.

Disaster preparedness: Support monsoon and cyclone preparedness and contingency planning.

IOM will undertake a wide variety of activities to create an enabling environment for the Rohingya refugees towards eventual sustainable voluntary return and reintegration in Myanmar in the future when conditions may permit by addressing the drivers of human mobility. Such activities will help Rohingya beneficiaries increase self-reliance skills. The livelihood activities will also target the host communities affected by the influx by integrating income-generating opportunities outside of the agricultural sector, focusing on off-farm activities.

IOM will implement skills development projects to promote the economic resilience of Rohingya refugees in the camps. This training will enhance their capacity and help them utilize their skills as self-reliance opportunities in the camps in Bangladesh and can be used as transferrable skills upon return to Myanmar. Rohingya beneficiaries will receive skills training related to Off-farm activities that are applicable to the humanitarian sector (e.g. health, WASH, site development-construction, etc.) in the camps. After the end of the training, IOM will facilitate in-kind asset support materials to Rohingya beneficiaries working outside the agricultural sector ‘’ Off farm activities’’ who are willing to gain basic skills or competencies but lack the physical assets to do so.

IOM will also provide host communities with transferable and life skills training (e.g. communication, negotiation, psychosocial) and vocational skills training including skills related to green businesses and green financing such as plumbing, patient administration, catering to disaster resilient outside the agricultural sector Off-farming tools and methods, waste recycling, electronic refurbishment, financial literacy related to resilient investments and planning, etc.

The targeted trades will be identified by thorough skills and needs assessment exercises. This training will give scope to beneficiaries in the host community for income generation. The productive asset support will be given to women beneficiaries who have technical skills but lack inputs/opportunities/assets and are willing to earn a modest income. IOM will provide small business grants through the self-help groups (SHG) to help beneficiaries expand and strengthen their businesses for outside the agricultural sector ‘’ Off Farm activities‘’.

To enhance the private sector engagement and promote market linkages, wage subsidy opportunities for beneficiaries will be implemented and to ensure sustainable income generation, IOM will organize activities such as product fairs for/by the beneficiaries in the host community to sell and promote their products to individuals and wholesalers.

IOM will ensure integration of various cross-cutting issues in the project design by identifying and including the most vulnerable beneficiaries through gender and disability-sensitive beneficiary selection criteria. The selection criteria of vulnerable women will be based on eligibility criteria such as female-headed households, income below the poverty line, widows, etc. IOM will also focus on disability throughout the beneficiary selection criteria and assist livelihoods and self-reliance opportunities.

One of the major challenges for vocational training is the literacy and numeracy levels of the communities. It is often challenging to find beneficiaries with minimum literacy levels to be eligible for vocational training. IOM will address the challenge by incorporating accelerated adult learning into the programme to improve the beneficiaries' literacy and numeracy levels. Women's empowerment, leadership, and decision-making will be promoted by incorporating income opportunities and entrepreneurship opportunities, business development training, financial literacy, etc., for women in the host community and self-reliance opportunities for women in the camps to ensure sustainable development and integration into the society.

LIVELIHOODS SERVICES IN BHASAN CHAR

Transferable skills training: IOM will provide transferable skills trainings to identified beneficiaries to equip them with short-term skills relevant to different professions.

Vocational training: Vocational training is aimed at the provision of skills for Rohingya refugees with existing specific skill sets and for those who want to learn more. Vocational training covers jute craft and wooden craft, construction, including solar light production, eco-friendly retailing, organic food production or catering, etc.

Self-employment: The skills training graduates will be supported to initiate self-employment activities and home-based businesses through the provision of takeaway materials as business support. This will enable the graduates to engage in self-employment and income-generating activities in Bhasan Char.

Wage-employment: IOM will create access to wage-employment opportunities by engaging Rohingya refugees in Bhashan Char through CfW activities for those beneficiaries that did not receive productive asset support.

Health systems strengthening and capacity-building: Continue coordination and collaboration with all health sector stakeholders and relevant working groups, strengthen advocacy and technical support to the Government of Bangladesh. In coordination with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Office of Civil Surgeon, IOM will support supplementation of human resource and medical supplies in the government health facilities at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. In line with IOM’s effort to strengthen 100 community clinics in Cox’s Bazar, which were renovated in 2023, IOM will strengthen the operational capacity of the facilities, specially to provide preventive, promotive and curative health service at the community level. IOM will also support renovation of the health infrastructure adhering environmentally sustainable and climate resilient approaches.

IOM will also continue to strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers and local partners by developing standard operating procedures, organizing trainings, and producing information, education and communication materials to improve the quality of healthcare service.

MHPSS health systems strengthening: Continue to contribute to the strengthening of the overall MHPSS system through coordination with the MHPSS working group and national MHPSS taskforce. Implementing capacity-building initiatives targeting various stakeholders including government ministries, service providers, community and religious leaders from Rohingya and host communities, representatives of community networks, local community-based organizations and non-governmental organizations.

Emergency preparedness and response: Operate two integrated infectious disease treatment centres for management of outbreak potential diseases. Disease surveillance and case management services, including early warning, alert and response system sentinel sample collection/testing, and early diagnosis, isolation, and treatment, will remain integrated in IOM health facilities. IOM will continue to coordinate and build the capacity of 33 mobile medical teams (10 run by IOM) of health sector partners, lead the mobile medical team technical working group (MMT TWG) and co-chairing the Emergency Preparedness and Response Technical Committee (EPR TC), to respond to emergencies. IOM will continue to strengthen its network of 400 community health workers for risk communication and community engagement on public health emergencies and initiating first response in disasters.

IOM will also support reinforcement, adaptation and retrofitting of health facilities and strengthening power backup systems (especially with solar/renewable energy) to prevent and/or withstand climate hazards. This will help health care facilities to remain operational at optimal scale during and after shocks and/or disease outbreaks to protect the health of the affected communities.

Disaster Risk Management: IOM is actively implementing a range of multi-hazard mitigation measures. These actions include robust initiatives such as slope stabilization works to avert landslides and erosions, access improvement works to enhance access to essential facilities, drainage network improvement works encompassing thorough cleaning and desilting to prevent flooding and inundation, and extensive plantation efforts restoring the greenery and the overall environment.

Adopting Nature Based Solution to support local ecosystems:A pivotal aspect of IOM's approach is watershed management initiatives, concentrating on nature-based solutions to enhance soil and water quality. The Organization's commitment to aligning the response strategy with disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks underscores IOM's dedication to coherent and effective disaster risk management. Additionally, IOM is at forefront of exploring environmentally friendly construction materials, including the potential use of lime, for small-scale DRR works, with a dual focus on cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability. Emphasizing quick fixes, repairs, maintenance, and preventative measures, IOM's strategy encapsulates a holistic approach towards disaster resilience.In pursuit of landslide mitigation, IOM will prioritize nature-based solutions, incorporating plantation and watershed management to support local ecosystems, and ensure sustainability while bolstering the resilience of affected populations. Furthermore, IOM's endeavours extend to the installation and maintenance of numerous solar streetlights, along with the provision of solar-powered SMSD facilities, serving as practical and effective measures to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability within the camps. Actively exploring carbon offset initiatives further demonstrates IOM's commitment to minimizing programming's carbon footprint. To augment these efforts, IOM conducts awareness programmes to inform communities about climate change and related mitigation strategies.

Emergency Preparedness: Enhance resilience of Rohingya refugees and host communities through community-led response systems involving community volunteers in disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. Promote community participation, leading to community ownership, as well as developing a network of community first responders and further developing the overall resilience of the camp population. Reduce risk of fire through the construction, upgrading and maintenance of access routes that act as fire breaks. In addition to maintenance of firefighting equipment, prepositioning of emergency stock and ensuring an updated multi-hazard preparedness plan contributes towards a robust emergency response plan in the IOM AoR.