Assist Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

Since the onset of violence against them over six years ago in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the Rohingya crisis tragically persists with very few signs of resolution. This historically marginalized group continues to be confronted with numerous challenges that jeopardize their present safety and future ability to lead self-sufficient lives. Nearly 1 million refugees, forced to flee where they once called home, sought sanctuary in neighboring Bangladesh, and live primarily in overcrowded and underfunded informal refugee settlements. Although the Rohingya crisis has faded from prominent media headlines since the attacks six years ago, they remain the largest stateless group globally.  

Cyclone Mocha, a category-five storm that struck in May 2023, wreaked havoc on both Bangladesh and Myanmar, further debilitating previously vulnerable communities. The cyclone intensified the Rohingya refugees' predicaments in Bangladesh along with fires that tore through informal refugee settlements. Threats from landslides, soil erosion, and post-storm flooding destroyed and worsened the state of informal settlements, creating devastating impacts on thousands already struggling. In Cox’s Bazar, where the majority of the Rohingya have sought refuge, the cyclone damaged significant infrastructure, including nutrition and medical centers, bamboo shelters, and schools. As alarms sounded, our teams in Cox’s Bazar sprang into action and responded rapidly to the emergency. Following the cyclone, we supplied thousands of meals to sheltered families, and intensified our relief efforts to aid both the refugees and host communities. Our programs include food package distribution, health services, psycho-social counseling, disaster risk management, and rehabilitation of shelters. 

Weather-related disasters underscore the essential role of organizations like Concern Worldwide, committed to providing relief to this vulnerable group that continuously suffers through no fault of their own. Climate change's wrath on Bangladesh amplifies during monsoon season (June to October), especially in refugee settlements. The Rohingya grapple with the recurring threats of weather-related disasters, which routinely threatens their safety. Poor conditions of the camps, combined with seasonal flooding, increase waterborne disease risks, posing severe health concerns.  To combat this, the Smart Health Card program was introduced by Concern, offering financial aid for medical care to families in need. The goal of Concern Worldwide is to help those we work with to stay healthy and live with as much security and dignity as possible. As a key organization in the Rohingya response, Concern operates 16 integrated nutrition services across camps, screening thousands of children under 5 every month and providing regular checkups for pregnant or lactating women.  

The most recent cyclone is just another chapter in the long-standing history of suffering for the Rohingya. Even before the outbreak of violence against them in 2017, while living in Myanmar for generations, the Rohingya have been historically denied citizenship and recognition by the state. Their limited access to education, jobs, and health services have resulted in chronic poverty and marginalization, issues that have further deepened since the start of this crisis in 2017. Past violence has led to repeated mass displacements, and their hardships persist.  

Our work continues, even when global attention fades. Dominic MacSorely, former CEO and current US Ambassador of Concern Worldwide, recently visited refugee camps and program sites in Bangladesh, and was able to observe how Concern’s homestead garden project has assisted families living in congested camps where open areas are scarce. Concern’s initiative enables families to cultivate vegetables on rooftops, between shelters and in bags filled with soil. This innovative approach has helped refugees across the camp enhance both their diet and earnings through their freshly harvested produce. He also points out the grim fact that despite such successes, due to a severe funding crisis, the recovery of this population is under serious threat. “As of June 1st, the monthly food vouchers that the refugees rely on from the World Food Program were reduced for the second time in three months - a 33% reduction in the daily ration. With the food voucher now valued at USD 8 per month – people are now expected to survive off 10 cents per meal. A complete pipeline break is anticipated by October if no additional funding is pledged. Parents are already eating less or skipping meals so their children can eat. With one in eight children already acutely malnourished, further cuts will be catastrophic and deadly.” says MacSorely in an article about his recent visit to Bangladesh. 

With over 50 years of operations in Bangladesh, Concern Worldwide has amplified efforts to address the urgent needs of the expanding Rohingya refugee community. Funding cuts threaten the ability of this population to recover, but what they require is the immediate support of the international community. The Rohingya have endured one challenge after another, making our work crucial to uplifting those affected by countless hardships. Our dedication to supporting this historically oppressed group remains unwavering.  

As we enter the summer months of 2023, an escalation of violence that began in 2017 against the Rohingya population in Myanmar’s Rakhine State continues to have devastating impacts on this historically oppressed ethnic minority group. It is estimated that nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees have fled into the neighboring country of Bangladesh, residing mostly in Cox’s Bazar, (a historically low-income area) where they continue to be faced with an array of issues that threaten their present and future ability to lead sustainable lives on their own. As of May 2023, circumstances have worsened even further after a powerful cyclone, known as Cyclone Mocha, hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar, causing calamitous damage and further crippling communities that were already in need. 

Cyclone Mocha has severely exacerbated issues faced by the Rohingya population in Bangladesh and an estimated 28,000 refugees were impacted. Danger is still posed by landslides, soil erosions and floods following what was the equivalent of a category-five storm, and the widespread damage has made the work of agencies like Concern Worldwide even more crucial. In Cox’s Bazar, Cyclone Mocha damaged four out of eleven nutrition centers including a stabilization facility for sick children and several bamboo shelters across the refugee camp. In communities in the wider Cox’s Bazar area, three schools and over 1,800 shelters were damaged, and over 6,000 gardens and a banana yard with 10,000 trees were destroyed. 

As Early Warning Systems kicked in, our team in Cox’s Bazar quickly kicked into action with plans put in place and stocks of food prepositioned. In the wake of this deadly cyclone, Concern’s team provided over 2,800 hot meals to families in shelters and prepared to ramp up our response further to meet the growing needs of Rohingya refugees and host communities. Our work continues as we attempt to alleviate the suffering brought on by this devastating cyclone in refugee camps and host communities, including the continuance of livelihood programs, distribution of food vouchers, access to health and nutrition services, disaster risk reduction programs and shelter rehabilitation.  

For generations, the Rohingya have been stuck in a chronic cycle of poverty caused by lack of state recognition, limited access to education, jobs and health services as well as constant food and supply shortages. Historical violence targeting this population has caused several mass displacements, and their struggles continue even as they are forgotten about by the world. Prior to Cyclone Mocha, the large influx of Rohingya refugees had already placed a major strain on Bangladesh, where 25% of the population is estimated to be food insecure, as the government struggles to meet the need of their own citizens and refugees. Limited supply of resources has caused socio-economic tensions to arise between refugee and host communities in Bangladesh, and in response Concern has implemented nutrition and livelihood intervention programs that expand to be inclusive of the needs of host communities as part of our long-term development work.  

The Rohingya refugee crisis has been largely absent from headlines since the initial attacks launched against them six years ago, but they remain the world’s largest stateless population. Climate change has hit Bangladesh hard with increasingly severe weather patterns, especially during monsoon season. The risks experienced during monsoon season are magnified for those living in refugee camps, where informal housing and settlements have been routinely destroyed by fire and flood. As they attempt to rebuild their lives in overcrowded and underfunded refugee settlements, Rohingya refugees must also live with the constant threat of dangerous weather looming over their heads. Seasonal flooding and limited access to proper water, hygiene and sanitation services in refugee camps also foster conditions that lead to the outbreak of waterborne illnesses like cholera and diarrhea, creating major public health concerns. To reduce the common barriers to health access faced by refugees, part of our response to the crisis has been initiating the Smart Health Card program, a tool for financing support for subsidized healthcare for poor families. Concern is one of the leading nutrition agencies in the Rohingya response, and we continue to provide lifesaving and preventative nutrition services through our programs to 17 camps and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.  

Unfortunately, Cyclone Mocha is just the most recent disaster endured by the Rohingya people. The Rohingya have been subject to a long history of oppression, and since 2017, refugees in Cox’s Bazar have been met with multiple barriers to a life of safety and stability since fleeing violence targeting them in Myanmar. Concern Worldwide has had a presence in Bangladesh for over 50 years and since the start of the crisis we have rapidly scaled up our operations to address the humanitarian needs of the large influx of Rohingya refugees. We continue to respond to the needs of refugees as they face various changing and growing issues, and we remain committed to alleviating the suffering of this historically persecuted population.