Assist Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

Dear Generous Supporter,

For this months's update, I'd like to share with you a story about a Rohingya refugee, one of the tens of thousands supported by Concern in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. But this refugee is special because he went from being a recipient of humanitarian assistance to a full-fledged humanitarian himself.

The story below was written by Concern's Clare Ahern and is evidence of the incredible impact your support has, but also of how Concern's staff of nearly 4,000 humanitarians worldwide all have their own inspiring stories.

TRAGEDY AND LOSS

At home in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Amir* never imagined he would one day become a refugee. In mid-2017, his wife had just given birth to their first child, a little baby boy. Life was relatively good and they were discovering the joy of parenthood. However, that joy was to be short-lived. In August of that year, as part of a major escalation of racial tensions, their village was attacked and they were forced to flee.

Amir’s mother, wife, and son managed to make it to a boat making towards Bangladesh. He and his father became separated and were taken captive, but managed to escape separately. Amir was badly injured. “They stabbed me in my back and my leg to ensure I could not leave.”

Amir and a group of his fellow captives eventually found a way to escape from where they were being detained. Heroically, they risked their lives to rescue others before they fled. “We knew that they were not going to spare a single female, no matter what age she was,” he says. “So we tried to get the females out first. No matter if it cost our lives.”

Tragically, Amir would learn that the boat carrying the rest of his family capsized. In agonizing pain from his stab wounds and close to unconsciousness, he searched for two days but never found them.

REFUGE AND RECOVERY

In October 2017 Amir reached at Balukhali refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh and was admitted to a hospital to be treated for his wounds. Slowly he began to rebuild his life. He now works as a volunteer in one of Concern’s nutrition centers, which provide recovery support for young children who are severely malnourished.

Visiting households, he screens children and refers those who show symptoms to the nutrition centers.

He says, “I never imagined I could stand back up — I was traumatized from the death of my family. I feel much better now. I like working with the children.”

Amir has since re-married and he and his wife now have a young baby boy. Together, they live alongside his grandmother, father, and younger sister and he finds joy both in his work and spending time with his family. “I lost my own child and then gained another, but I also watch over so many in the camp.”

*Name has been changed for security reasons.

Dear Supporter,

Since August 2017, 750,000 Rohingya refugees — including more than 400,000 children — have fled to the Cox’s Bazar camp in southeast Bangladesh to escape violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is now the largest refugee camp on Earth.

Sadly, one in six of the Rohingya children living in Cox’s Bazar are malnourished. That’s over 65,000 children under the age of 5 going hungry and running the risk of effects like stunting that can affect them for the rest of their lives — or even cut those precious lives short.

As the crisis has now reached a grim milestone of two years on, let's take a look back at how it began and what Concern is doing to respond to the latest threats facing refugees today.

Who Are the Rohingya and What Happened in 2017?

The Rohingya are a majority-Muslim ethnic group that has lived in the mostly Buddhist nation of Myanmar for centuries. At the beginning of September 2017, over 435,000 Rohingya poured into the southeastern Bangladesh city of Cox’s Bazar, fleeing violence in their home villages.

On average, most Rohingya refugee families arriving in Bangladesh came with 4 children and spent up to 10 days fleeing to the safety by foot. Many arrived with nothing but their lives and the lives of their children.

What Challenges do the Rohingya Face in 2019?

Flooding

The rainy seasons in Bangladesh have made day-to-day living in the crowded camps even worse.  As of August 2019, floods in Bangladesh have affected 7 million people (primarily in the northeast). The rainy season impacts roughly 60% of the country.

Clean Water

Despite monsoons and heavy rains, many Rohingya only have access to water from rivers and ponds — the same waters they defecate and wash in. Those who have made it to Bangladesh are in desperate need of basic essentials, including food, shelter, and clean water.

Food, Nutrition, and Healthcare

When they arrive into Bangladesh, many Rohingya are already hungry or showing signs of malnutrition. Severe acute malnutrition affects children the most and leaves them more vulnerable to life-threatening diseases like cholera and diarrhea.

Safe Spaces and Resources for Women

Rohingya women traveling alone or with only their children, are vulnerable to gender-based violence and in need of safe spaces, hygiene supplies, and basic items to maintain their dignity.

Housing and Shelter

Many Rohingya are living in overcrowded or makeshift camps in Bangladesh. Others have no option but to be homeless on the streets, while thousands of others are stuck between the borders. What shelters families do have are threatened by rains and monsoons.

A Long Commitment to Bangladesh

Concern has been working in Bangladesh since 1972. In over 45 years, we’ve reached millions of people with lifesaving emergency response as well as longer-term development programs. Concern has worked in the past with the Rohingya, and our current response to this emergency ties directly into our mission of focusing on the poorest, most vulnerable members of our global community.

In 2018 alone, Concern screened approximately 49,500 children across nine refugee camps for signs of severe malnutrition every month, admitting over 6,140 to our outpatient clinics, where we achieved a cure rate of 97%.

Our work in Bangladesh is thanks to your support. We simply couldn't do it without you.