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“Voiceless and Stateless Rohingya Refugees: Competing Expectations Among NGOs in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Afshan Paarlberg Open the ORCID record for Afshan Paarlberg [Opens in a new window] ,
Ronia Hawash Open the ORCID record for Ronia Hawash [Opens in a new window]  and
Shyam K. Sriram Open the ORCID record for Shyam K. Sriram [Opens in a new window]
Afshan Paarlberg*
Affiliation:
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Ronia Hawash*
Affiliation:
Lacy School of Business, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Shyam K. Sriram*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY, USA
*
azraza@iu.edu
rhawash@butler.edu
srirams@canisius.edu
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Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in the response to human displacement yet face competing pressures. One ongoing site of displacement is among the 1.1 million Rohingya persons living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. NGOs are party to the ongoing humanitarian response yet operate under competing demands by multiple stakeholders. To what extent do NGOs meet the various expectations among different groups of Rohingya refugee beneficiary stakeholders? We used UNHCR survey data from 31 refugee sites in Cox’s Bazar to empirically examine the relationship between demographic and socioeconomic indicators with satisfaction levels of service provision. We find that female refugees and head of household disability (difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, remembering, or communicating) are indicators that present the most significant differences; NGO responses more often overlook the priority needs of females and persons with disabilities when compared to other refugees, a response gap that reduces their satisfaction and potentially heightens these groups’ vulnerabilities. Although UNHCR and NGOs face pressures from competing demands within beneficiary populations, they also have opportunities to develop refugee-centered policies and practices that are more responsive to vulnerable groups. Overall, this paper adds dimension to understanding of various refugee stakeholder perspectives within a camp setting.

Keywords

RefugeesRohingyaRefugee campsNGOsStakeholdersAccountability

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 35 , Issue 3 , June 2024 , pp. 439 - 450
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research 2023

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