Devex: Opinion: The long road to addressing sexual and reproductive health needs of Rohingya refugees
Sandra Krause, reproductive health program director at the Women’s Refugee Commission

“…[T]here has been a tremendous effort on the part of [Bangladesh’s] national government, U.N. agencies, and both national and international nongovernmental organizations to address the enormous needs of the Rohingya refugees, including health, protection, shelter, water and sanitation, psychosocial, and other concerns. … [The] extraordinary efforts [of UNFPA and its partners in Cox’s Bazar] demonstrate the power and potential of health providers working in tandem … to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of the expanding Rohingya population in the face of many obstacles. Building on this work to improve both the coverage and quality of these services, including for adolescents and marginalized populations, will require significant dedicated support from donors and implementing agencies. … [O]ur visit to Cox’s Bazar reinforced our appreciation for the remarkable sexual and reproductive health care response to date, the need to scale up these exemplary efforts, and a deeper understanding of the long and difficult road ahead” (5/1).