The well-being of Rohingya children in Rohingya camps of Bangladesh during the Covid 19 pandemic: a qualitative exploration

Covid-19 infection is an additional burden to the life of the Rohingya children living in cramped camps of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. BRAC has introduced Humanitarian Play Lab (HPL) for children's playful learning in the camps since 2017. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the modality was changed from face-face interactions to a telecommunication model. This qualitative research aims to understand caregivers' and frontline providers' practices and perceptions about children's well-being during the pandemic. Interviews were conducted with purposively selected parents and frontline providers through telephone. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. The lockdown directly and indirectly affected children's mental and physical well-being. A shared parenting role was observed in child education and learning. Parents widely accepted tele-communication services for children as it was considered important for continuing children's wellbeing and learning. This research highlights the relevance and timeliness of utilising telecommunications services by parents for children's psychosocial health and playful learning.

Automated summary

This research aims to understand the well-being of Rohingya children in the cramped camps of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study found that the lockdown measures had both direct and indirect impacts on the mental and physical health of the children, but parents widely accepted telecommunication services as important for their children's well-being and learning.