Relief for Rohingya refugees ending up in Cox's Bazar markets

The Rohingya refugees, who have taken refuge in a number of refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazar, are selling relief supplies provided to them. Some local traders are buying these relief supplies which include rice, lentil, oil and sugar etc at half the market prices. These products are then sold by the traders at competitive prices. A number of syndicates have been formed by the traders, who are competing with each other in buying out the relief materials, according to several sources. The 12 relief centres in the Balukhali and Kutupalong refugee camps at Ukhiya upazila witness steady supply of relief goods and cash assistance almost every day. Despite the vast amount of aid, many Rohingya refugees are not getting their fair share of relief aid, with some cases of completely being derived of relief. Abul Kalam, who came to a relief distribution centre at Balukhali refugee camp, said they have been receiving a huge cache of relief ever since they crossed over to the camp fleeing the Myanmar army's persecution in late August. “The relief supplies are so massive that we are failing to store those at the camp stores. So, I think it would be better for us if we could sale a portion of the relief goods,” he said. Shafiul Alam and his wife Mina Aara Begam of Lambashia slum at Kutualong refugee camp said they were in a fix as to what to do with the relief aid they received. “What will we do with so much rice, pulse and oil? In order to get rid of the surplus material, we are selling these to local traders, which is helping us make some extra money,” Shafiul said. After visiting the camps, the Dhaka Tribune found that each kg of rice, sent as relief, is selling for Tk32, while the same rice is priced at Tk50-60. The Rohingya are selling sugar at Tk30, half the market price. They are charging Tk70 for a kilo of lentil, which is Tk50 less than the regular price. They are also selling edible oil at Tk60 a litre, which actually sells at around Tk120. Each pack of 500-gm powdered milk is priced at just Tk100 in the camps, where flattened rice is selling for Tk30, but the same item is sold at Tk45 in the market. Firoza Begum, a resident of Ukhiya upazila, also a hawker, told the Dhaka Tribune that she visits the Kutupalong camp regularly to buy the relief products from the Rohingya. “I mainly use the alternative route to avoid hassle since there is always security at the main gate of the camp,” she said. According to her, buying goods from the camp is very profitable. Moulana Keyafat Ullah at the Kutupalong camp said: “I sold five sacks of rice in the last 20 days. We do not need this much rice, with the relief supplies piling up every day. We are selling each kg rice at Tk32 since all we need now is some cash.” When contacted, Additional District Magistrate Khaled Mahmud of Cox's Bazar said such a situation arose since the relief distribution, during the primary stage of the ongoing Rohingya influx, had taken place haphazardly. “Many Rohingya refugees did not get relief then. But, after the army started the distribution, the problem started reducing. The relief materials, which are being sent for the Rohingya, are being stored in a protected temporary warehouse in Ukhiya Degree College with the army's help,” he said. The government official also said they would look into the reports of relief supplies being sold into the market. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as many as 536,000 Rohingya entered Bangladesh after being forcibly displaced from Myanmar until October 13.