UNICEF has said that the education of 230,000 Rohingya refugee children is now under threat due to an acute and deepening funding crisis.
They said that 1,179 local Bangladeshi teachers at UNICEF-run learning centres risk losing their jobs.
This information was given at a press briefing held at the UNICEF office in Cox's Bazar on Sunday.
Angela Kearney, Head of UNICEF Cox's Bazar Office, said that in recent months, UNICEF's humanitarian funding for its work in the Rohingya camps has significantly decreased. This has impacted the education of 83 per cent of school-going children enrolled in UNICEF-supported learning centres in the refugee camps.
Despite relentless efforts to create new funds and reorganize activities, a total of 1,179 volunteer teachers' contracts with UNICEF will end by June 30 due to funding shortages, she said.
The press briefing called on international organizations and donors to stand by the Rohingya refugees in addressing their humanitarian crisis.
Angela Kearney further state that if new funding is available, it will be possible to continue supporting inclusive and quality education for Rohingya refugee children in Cox's Bazar.
The official even announced a move away from giving children new textbooks. She said the old books would be reissued to students in new classes at the end of the school year.
Meanwhile, volunteer teachers' contracts with UNICEF have been protesting in Ukhia for several days over the news of the closure of education programs. They are blocking roads and disrupting the movement of vehicles of various development organizations. They claim that locals are being removed from their jobs while keeping the Rohingyas. This will further harm the affected locals.
When asked about this, UNICEF official Angela Kearney said, "There is no discrimination here, it is just a decision taken due to funding constraints. We have more than 3,000 Bangladeshi volunteer teachers working here, from which only Grade-1 and Grade-2 are not staying."
