IOM’s emergency director urges durable solutions to Rohingya crisis

Even after four years since they were forced to flee Myanmar, almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees at camps in Cox’s Bazar desperately need urgent action to secure their future.

Jeff Labovitz, Director for the Department of Operations and Emergencies (DOE) in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said this during his official visit to Bangladesh last week.

“The Rohingya are still waiting for durable solutions," he further said.

Labovitz urged all the stakeholders to come together with a durable solution for their future.

During his visit to Cox’s Bazar, the DOE director checked on the progress of rebuilding the camps destroyed by a fire in March which left thousands without shelter.

Labovitz also visited IOM’s key healthcare facilities in the camps

He was impressed with the Digital Island Project on the island of Moheshkhali, implemented in 2016 by IOM in collaboration with the government.

The project has transformed the island into an IT hub by improving the remote population’s access to high-speed internet and social services.

Jeff Labovitz also had strategic meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, as well as key humanitarian partners, donors and other UN agencies during his stay in Bangladesh.