LET’S NOT STOP HELPING THE ROHINGYA
More needs to be done to ease the burden of the longsuffering Rohingya
FOR Nur Akmal Izyan, 31, a visit to the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh was an eye-opener. She was part of a group of young Malaysian humanitarians who visited Cox Bazar two weeks ago to take relief items to refugees. Nur Akmal is not new to humanitarian work, but the visit to Camp Balukhali gave her valuable experiences.
The group was led by Faiz Qayyuum, a volunteer from Yayasan Salam Malaysia. The group comprised five individuals from various backgrounds, bonded by their desire to help and bring relief to the suffering Rohingya, regarded by many as the world’s most persecuted minority.
Cox Bazar has been “home” to almost one million Rohingya ever since they left Rakhine State in Myanmar. Deprived of citizenship, killed, tortured, raped and abused, thousands of Rohingya braved the jungle and sea to flee their homeland, seeking safety.
Cox Bazar is the most soughtafter safe haven for these displaced Rohingya. Bangladesh has allowed them to live in makeshift camps that protect them from the elements.
I had lunch with Faiz after the group returned. His story is this: “I spent two weeks in Cox Bazar, liaising with a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) to distribute the aid items we brought. Donors in Malaysia helped my team and I buy rice, cooking oil, sugar, salt, tea and other essential items.
“Cox Bazar is a huge district. With more than 800,000 refugees, Cox Bazar is regarded by the Rohingya as a shelter home were they can find security and safety. It is not ‘home’, of course, but they are safe from the brutal persecution in Myanmar.
“The local NGO is called Programme for the Helpless and Lagged Societies (Phals), headed by businessman Abu Murshed Chowdhury. Phals was formed in 1996 and is registered with the Social Welfare Department of Bangladesh.
“With Phals’ help, my group focused on Camp Balukhali at Block 56. There are more than 300 blocks in the area. My group was able to help only 88 families, including individuals who were single — unmarried or had been separated from their families.”
Other than Faiz and Nur Akmal, the group comprised Fathihah Saman, Aariq Armiza and Zatul Iftah. They raised funds from wellwishers and friends. Other than food items, the group brought materials to make sanitary pads for women.
Nur Akmal and the other two female volunteers sat with female refugees to teach them how to make these pads. In the camps, such items are not easy to come by, which was why considerable time was spent to impart this knowledge to the refugees.
Nur Akmal said: “The camps provide shelter for the refugees. They live in huts made from bamboo, plastic and canvas sheets. There are no beds. Most sleep on the sand floor. In the coming months, things will get worse when rain comes. There can be mudslides as many huts are placed on slopes.”
The Bangladeshi government must be commended for its response to the Rohingya problem. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed has visited Cox Bazar and seen for herself the conditions of the camps. She has provided help to ease the refugees’ burden until a more permanent political solution is found.
I asked Nor Akmal what else the refugees needed. She said: “Helping them can be a sad experience. We could only help a small fraction. It breaks our heart when we could not help thousands more. But I believe every contribution helps in the long run.”
There should be more toilet facilities, Akmar said, to which Faiz agreed.
Toilets are shared by hundreds of refugees and this can cause tension, besides being unhygienic. There should be more water pumps. The refugees use ground water taken from makeshift wells using water pumps.
The camps have no electricity supply. There are curfews to prevent petty crimes and to impose law and order.
Nur Akmal suggested for solar panels be put up and electricity stored for use at night.
With Ramadan less than a month away, the refugees are bracing for the rainy season. There are countless stories of tragedies when rain hits the camps, a fact that may be repeated in the coming months.
Nur Akmal suggested that it would be useful to send a medical team to the camps to provide health screenings and dispense medicines and vitamins. Wellwishers and donors who wish to contribute can contact this columnist at your convenience.
Toilets are shared by hundreds of refugees and this can cause tension, besides being unhygienic. There should be more water pumps.