ISTANBUL

The plight of the Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority group from Myanmar's Rakhine State, continues to spark a global outcry and spur humanitarian efforts.

As a result of the crisis, for the past seven years, more than 1.3 million forcibly displaced people have been struggling to survive in dire circumstances.

At the end of 2023, around 117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order, according to a recent report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Among these are 1.3 million Rohingyas, who are predominantly Muslim and have lived in Myanmar for generations.

Often described as "the world's most persecuted minority," Rohingyas have faced systematic disenfranchisement, discrimination and targeted persecution by the Myanmar government for decades. The government does not recognize them as one of the country's official ethnic groups, leaving them stateless and stripping them of citizenship rights.

Tensions escalated dramatically between the Rohingya and the Myanmar government in 2017 following attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on police checkpoints on Aug. 25. Myanmar's military responded with a brutal crackdown that has led to widespread violence, killings and arson.

Described by the UN as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing," the Myanmar military's actions have led to a mass exodus, forcing Rohingyas to seek refuge in neighboring countries including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand.

Most live in overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, which are among the largest and most densely populated in the world. Despite a significant influx of aid from humanitarian agencies, dependency on foreign assistance remains ongoing and the security situation is dire.

- Aid agencies provide critical relief on the ground

Canada-based Human Concern International (HCI) is among several aid organizations that are active in the area. It currently offers a lifeline to refugees in camps in and around Cox's Bazar.

HCI has built and maintains sanitation facilities to prevent waterborne diseases, which pose a particular threat to residents of overcrowded areas—like camps—with inadequate infrastructure.

It also provides essential support in various forms, including emergency shelter kits, food aid, medical supplies, children’s education and clean drinking water.

28-year-old Ayesha Siddiqa is one of the millions of Rohingya living in the camps. Once she had a normal life in her own country, but her entire family is now dependent on foreign aid to survive.

“The door to earning has been shut. Our males could go out to work and bring money back home. As that's not possible anymore, it’s getting so hard to sustain with the limited amount of rations,” Siddiqa said.

They took shelter in the Ukhia Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, but they still have concerns about their livelihood and security.

“Now it's summer here. The heat along with dust makes life difficult. The supply of soaps has also been reduced, and you already know the condition of the camp. We fear to let the children go out. Who knows what happens when. Even adults don't go out that frequently,” she said.

Although they are happy about the quality of the health services in the camp, she complains about the inadequate budget.

“When we had two illnesses, they could only supply medicine for one. If they could raise the budget, it would have been great for us. Women get sick more frequently, but we can't get medicine for more than one diagnosis at a time. The budget really needs to be raised.”

Sixty-five-year-old Amanullah, a Rohingya refugee, has also been living in the Ukhia Refugee Camp for the past eight years.

Pointing out that the camp's conditions have worsened over time, Amanullah said: "When we first arrived here, we used to be provided with quality medicines, but now we can't access some of them. Allah gives us disease, and disease has a cure. If we get proper medicine, then we will get well. We need proper medicine, and if we get those, we will be happy.”

- HCI mobile clinics assist both Rohingyas and Bangladeshis

Access to health care is a major concern for refugees. This is despite intense efforts by the Bangladeshi government and international aid organizations, as the scale of the crisis requires more comprehensive and sustained intervention.

According to reports from humanitarian agencies, conditions in the camps in Bangladesh are dire. Massively overcrowded, most lack sufficient medical facilities, leading to widespread public health issues.

Dr. Md. Tarikul Islam is a medical officer who works at an HCI mobile medical camp on Char Susua Island in Bhuapur, Tangail.

“There are no doctors or hospitals on the island,” he told Anadolu.

“If patients need treatment, they must go all the way to Bhuapur, which is too far. The only way to get there is by boat.”

“Generally speaking,” he added, “the people here are largely deprived of medical attention.”

“We are doing everything that we can – under the circumstances – to provide them with treatment,” Islam said.

Rashid, who benefited from HCI's mobile clinic for the first time, said he heard about the service from his neighbors and that many Bangladeshis come here to get medicine.

"There are people in my area who benefit from the service here, and some even came back to get more medicine. I came here on their recommendation,” he said.

Bangladeshi Mochammat Nurunnahar Khatun also expressed satisfaction with the eye examination she received from the mobile clinic.

"This is my second visit here. The first time I came for an eye examination, I was very pleased with the service I received. They gave me reading glasses, and now I can easily read the Quran,” Khatun said.

- ‘International community must not forget the Rohingya people’

HCI Chief Executive Officer Masum Mahbub stressed the vital need for children’s education in the camps.

He is currently taking part in one of HCI’s flagship projects: a child sponsorship program in one of the camps that is run in conjunction with the host community and the agency’s local partners.

Mahbub spoke to Anadolu after distributing more than 50 packages of food, school supplies and clothing for Rohingya refugees.

“Together, we have 330 children under this project. We are actually distributing in phases,” he said.

“There was a distribution yesterday,” he added. “Today, we did 50, and we will continue tomorrow and over the week.”

“The core of our program is education,” Iftikhar Shaikh Ahmad, HCI senior programs manager, told Anadolu.

According to Ahmad, HCI also supports the host community by providing the same services for local Bangladeshi children.

“The years-long Rohingya crisis is still far from over,” according to Mahbub.

“The international community must not forget the Rohingya people,” he said. “It must continue to provide the necessary resources to ensure their survival.”