Rohingya refugees survive on crumbs, sleep and defecate in the open

Rohingya refugees are suffering from the absence of shelter, food, medicine, sanitation and safe water, which has now become a huge crisis in Teknaf and Cox’s Bazar border areas. Experts and people helping on the ground say there needs to be central coordination and proper initiatives to help the Rohingya people. Around 400,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh over the past two weeks, local organisations said. The Rohingya have taken refuge in Teknaf, Ukhiya, and other Cox's Bazar areas with more than 200,000 staying on the roadside in those locations. When talking to the Rohingya and other locals, they said they have had nothing to eat in the last two weeks and have had to answer nature’s call in open spaces. Medicine is unavailable to most of these people. Many suffering from diarrheal diseases do not even get saline. One Rohingya woman named Samsee, 30, took off from her home in Bosidang of Tangbazar area in Rakhine with her three-day-old baby last Monday when the Myanmar army and Border Guard Police burned down her home with her husband and two brothers. After waiting a day in the no man's land, she reached Teknaf after crossing the Naf River. Samsee has taken up a place near in Noyapara refugee camp with thousands of other people, mostly women and children. She told the Dhaka Tribune that she only had a few biscuits to eat in the last three days provided by a Bangladeshi voluntary organisation. She became teary-eyed while talking about her baby who has also not received adequate food. Most of the refugees while talking to the Dhaka Tribune correspondent said they needed food, medicine, shelter and safe water. Many NGOs working to aid the refugees have echoed similar sentiments when talking to the Dhaka Tribune. Many people were helping the Rohingya out of their own pockets. Dr Zia, who has come from Chittagong Medical College Hospital with his medical team, said there was an urgent need for shelter because of heavy rain. Nipin Gangadharan, country director at Action Against Hunger, told the Dhaka Tribune that they were observing the situation and thought providing shelter was now of utmost priority. "In this rainy season, thousand of Rohingya refugees are staying out under the open sky. As a result, they are suffering from cold, while lack of safe water is leading to diarrheal diseases," he added. Manzur Kabir Ahmed, coordinator of Gonoshastha Kendra, working in the Teknaf area from September 4, told the Dhaka Tribune that 100,000 people are in severe need of food and medicine, as many of them suffered injuries while crossing into Bangladesh. He also said the aid to the refugees needs to be centrally coordinated. Many people and NGOs, as well as the government, are helping them separately, which has led to some getting aid and some not getting anything.