Priyanka Chopra: Rohingya children’s future looks bleak; help them

Indian actor and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra says Rohingya children can have a chance at a future with help from all, because right now, according to her, their future is bleak.

"For a lot of the Rohingya children, this ordeal will leave them scarred, physically and emotionally, for the rest of their lives. With your help, maybe these children can have a chance at a future," she said on Tuesday.

.@priyankachopra visits the refugee kids and families at the #Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazaar. Follow her on instagram for updates. #PCInBangladesh #Refugee #UNICEFFieldVisit #ChildrenUprooted @UNICEF @UNICEFBD (2/2) pic.twitter.com/xehn3sOFle

— Team Priyanka Chopra (@TeamPriyanka) May 22, 2018

Priyanka reiterated her call that the world needs to care. "We need to care. Please lend your support."

Also Read- Rohingyas aware of Priyanka Chopra's identity

Priyanka visited a number of Rohingya camps in Teknaf upazila of the district Tuesday. She first visited the camp set up at Hariyakhali Anchor point in Sabrang union of Teknaf upazila.

"Across the river is Myanmar. It's empty now, but a few months ago this area, known as "Sabrang," was filled with hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar," she wrote on her verified Facebook and Instagram page.

When Mansur Ali, 12 yrs old, first came to the Child Friendly Space (CFS) at the Balukhali camp, he was only drawing scenes of bloodshed and violence. Helicopters shooting at him and his friends playing soccer... or his village and home being on fire with burning bodies all around him.. Today, his drawings reflect a more hopeful story, one we would like all these children to have. Since the #Rohingya children have arrived in Cox’s Bazar, they have been living in overcrowded camps with no real place that to call their own. Imagine a space that lets you forget your troubles and be a child again... even if its only for just a few hours a day. For the Rohingya children, over 300,000, in the camps in Bangladesh this is the only space that allows them to be kids. These Child Friendly Spaces created by @unicef give kids access to art, music, dance, sport, and counselling etc. The space has often proved to be very therapeutic, helping these kids deal with the horrific situations they faced.. the @unicef aid workers work tirelessly to make sure these children find their spirit again. It doesn’t matter where a child is from or what his or her circumstances are... NO child deserves a life without hope for the future. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh

A post shared by  Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 22, 2018 at 6:54am PDT

Their trip here, she said, was filled with many hardships and tremendous danger and many of them made their journey on foot, walking for days through the hills, then floating across the Naf River or the Bay of Bengal on makeshift boats.

"Many of them injured, pregnant, elderly, etc. Their ordeal didn't end here...after entering Bangladesh, they would often have to wait for days, sleeping in the open fields with no food or water, for aid workers to reach them," she wrote.

Priyanka visited a number of Rohingya camps in Teknaf upazila of the district Tuesday. She first visited the camp set up at Hariyakhali Anchor point in Sabrang union of Teknaf upazila.

Hariyakhali is where these refugees entered Bangladesh from Myanmar.

Priyanka, went to Ledha camp from Hariyakhali,  where she visited a child development centre established by Unicef.

She also visited the camp in Unchiprang, where around 30,000 Rohingya people are currently staying.

Across the river is Myanmar(Burma.) It’s empty now, but a few months ago this area, known as “Sabrang,” was filled with hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. Their trip here was filled with many hardships and tremendous danger. Many of them made their journey on foot, walking for days through the hills, then floating across the Naf River or the Bay of Bengal on make shift boats...many of them injured, pregnant, elderly, etc. Their ordeal didn’t end here...after entering Bangladesh, they would often have to wait for days, sleeping in the open fields with no food or water, for aid workers to reach them. For a lot of the Rohingya children, this ordeal will leave them scarred, physically and emotionally, for the rest of their lives. With your help, maybe these children can have a chance at a future...because right now, their future is bleak. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #ChildrenUprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh

A post shared by  Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 22, 2018 at 3:30am PDT

On Monday, the Bollywood actress, on a four-day visit, sought support for Rohingya children saying these kids are their future and the world needs to care about them.

Also Read- Indian actor Priyanka Chopra stands in solidarity with Rohingyas

"These children are at the forefront of this humanitarian crisis, and they desperately need our help," she said while visiting a Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar district.

She said the world saw horrific images of ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. This drove nearly 700,000 Rohingyas across the border into Bangladesh – 60% of them children.

"Many months later, they are still vulnerable, living in crowded camps with no idea when or where they will ever belong to...even worse, when they will get their next meal," she wrote on her Facebook page.

I’m in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh today for a field visit with UNICEF, to one of the largest refugee camps in the world. In the second half of 2017, the world saw horrific images of ethnic cleansing from the Rakhine State of Myanmar(Burma). This violence drove nearly 700,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh - 60% are children! Many months later they are still highly vulnerable, living in overcrowded camps with no idea when or where they will ever belong...even worse, when they will get their next meal. AND...as they finally start to settle and feel a sense of safety, monsoon season looms...threatening to destroy all that they’ve built so far. This is an entire generation of children that have no future in sight. Through their smiles I could see the vacancy in their eyes. These children are at the forefront of this humanitarian crisis, and they desperately need our help. The world needs to care. We need to care. These kids are our future. Pls Lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #ChildrenUprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh Credit: @briansokol @hhhtravels

A post shared by  Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 21, 2018 at 6:27am PDT

And, she added, as they finally start settling down and feeling a sense of safety, monsoon looms, threatening to destroy all they have built so far.

"This is an entire generation of children that have no future in sight. Through their smiles I could see the vacancy in their eyes," Priyanka wrote.

.@priyankachopra visits the refugee kids and families at the #Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazaar. Follow her on instagram for updates. #PCInBangladesh #Refugee #UNICEFFieldVisit #ChildrenUprooted @UNICEF @UNICEFBD (1/2) pic.twitter.com/vz0IBKk0BF

— Team Priyanka Chopra (@TeamPriyanka) May 22, 2018

After spending two days in Cox's Bazar, Priyanka, who was named a global Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, after serving as a National Goodwill Ambassador to India for 10 years, is scheduled to return to Dhaka on Thursday and leave Dhaka the same evening.