3.5 Conclusion

In summary, persons with disabilities in Cox’s Bazar face many barriers and multiple forms of discrimination that hinder their safe and equal access to and meaningful participation in the humanitarian response. It is worth highlighting that persons with disabilities are not a homogeneous group; their needs differ depending on the intersection of various factors, including age, gender, health status, type of impairment and the individual support they receive from caregivers and community members, among other factors. Data disaggregated by age, gender and disability, along with comprehensive needs assessments are therefore crucial for an effective humanitarian response but have not been sufficiently collected. Fortunately, the humanitarian community and the Government of Bangladesh are building on past experiences and increasingly including persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups in their response, and are also working towards closing existing gaps, though much work remains to be done.

The challenges and opportunities to achieve this differ across the camps and host communities. Although the material circumstance of particularly vulnerable segments of the host population, including persons with disabilities, may be similar to those of the Rohingya refugees, the situation in the host communities is fundamentally different. As Bangladeshi citizens, vulnerable populations have rights and freedoms to which the Rohingya, as foreigners, have no access. These include, for example, the right to education, freedom of movement and the ability to establish self-help groups and OPDs, which if available, would enhance the ability of the Rohingya to create a more enabling environment for claiming and enjoying their rights (Amnesty International, 2020; Reliefweb, 2020).