Rohingya Refugee Crisis

  • More than 600,000 Rohingya people have arrived in Bangladesh, fleeing unimaginable atrocities. Exhausted and terrified, many believed they wouldn’t survive the journey. Oxfam is there, providing food and life-saving clean water to those fleeing Myanmar and the host communities that have opened their doors to them. But we desperately need your support as more and more traumatised men, women and children arrive in Bangladesh every day.

Your Kindness Helps Survivors Overcome Trauma: Thank You For Enabling Recovery in Cox’s Bazar

Posted by: Christine Bale
Photo: Maruf Hasan / Oxfam

August 2017 saw over one million Rohingya people flee Myanmar for the relative safety of Bangladesh, during one of the largest exoduses the world has ever seen. Ethnic people were killed. Unspeakable abuses took place. Families were torn apart. Yet, the Rohingya people found strength to carry on. Oxfam’s supporters were there from the start, immediately asked what they could do to help.

Initial projects involved a massive scaling up of infrastructure to accommodate such large crowds. Providing sufficient clean drinking water and hygienic living conditions became a challenge, but one you willingly overcame.

There have been many more helpful endeavours and successes along the way. One year after the initial camp set-up, a survey was taken by Oxfam and our partners to assess if all needs were being met.

The most prominent issues noted were that:

  • ⅓ of women did not feel safe or comfortable going to collect water or using toilets and shower cubicles – many of which lack a roof and a lockable door.
  • ½ of women and ¾ of adolescent girls surveyed said they didn’t have what they needed to manage their periods, including a female-only place to wash sanitary cloths without embarrassment.
Photo: Maruf Hasan / Oxfam

In order to help tackle these issues, Oxfam worked with Bangladeshi architect Nuha Anoor Pabony, 24, from Dhaka. Nuha engaged Rohingya women and girls in design workshops, to incorporate their feedback directly. Her final plans included the use of screens to increase privacy, storage areas for menstruation products and the construction of additional single sex toilet facilities.

Getting feedback on the designs, Nuha said: “I was nervous when we went to show the community the design.  When I showed the women the model, the oldest lady in the room took it in her hand and took a close look for a few seconds. Then she looked at me and nodded her head positively and with a big smile. That’s when I got my answer that I might have done something right! That moment will stay with me for a long time.”

Now five years on, the work isn’t over. People have been displaced and lacked certainty for so long. There is no end in sight, and times are tense. There is a huge need for emotional support. Most notably for women and adolescent girls.

Alongside more female-centric camp facilities. Two specialised women’s centre have been created by Razia Sultana, an international human-rights activist, lawyer, teacher, and researcher. But your generosity is what supports one of these essential centres.

Photos: Fabeha Monir / Oxfam

At the centres, women like Sofika can learn to read and write and make items like clothing and fishing nets to sell.  They also engage in trauma-recovery activities, get medical care and learn about their rights. Perhaps most importantly, these centres give women a chance to break out of the relative isolation of their homes and make friends.

This gift of friendship is so precious for these women who have endured so much – and it is these friendships that help them cope with the struggle of daily life. Five years after her trauma, and one year after joining programmes at the centre and forming friendships - Sofika has recovered from anxiety and depression. She has managed to heal, to create friendships and to find joy at the world’s largest refugee camp.

Photo: Mutasim Billah / Oxfam

There have been many troubles along the way in the camp – from monsoon rains causing flooding and mudslides, to the deadly fires that swept through four of the camps in 2021.

But again, our supporters have always been there to provide emergency supplies, to support essential projects and after all that, to ask what more can be done. Your steadfast commitment to provide aid during crises is inspirational.

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As monsoon season looms, Oxfam staff in Cox’s Bazar must prepare for the worst

Posted by: Caroline Reid
Monsoon season in Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar. Rohingya women make their way home in the monsoon rains. Photo: Maruf Hasan/Oxfam

Last year’s monsoon season in Bangladesh resulted in catastrophic floods which left one quarter of the country underwater. Almost 1.3 million homes were damaged, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and hundreds more died.

In the Rohingya camps of Cox’s Bazar, which are home to nearly one million people, more than 100,000 people were affected by the floods. Dozens were injured and 14 people died.

Damage following heavy rains at Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Photo: Mutasim Billah/Oxfam

Heavy monsoon rains can cause landslides and floods, resulting in latrines overflowing with filthy water. As this dirty water flows through the camps, it contaminates everything in its path – including sources of clean water. The result? The spread of deadly diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

The threat of this year’s monsoon season combined with Covid-19 means that Oxfam staff have to be more prepared than ever. But given the crisis upon crisis that has befallen families living in Cox’s Bazar over the past year alone, they will have to plan for the unexpected.

Destruction in the Rohingya refugee camps following a devastating fire in March, which left thousands displaced and hundreds injured. It also destroyed homes and critical infrastructure. Photo: Mutasim Billah/Oxfam

Crisis upon crisis

After all, less than three months ago, a huge fire engulfed four of the refugee camps, separating children from their parents. The fire ripped through the camps at an unimaginable rate, turning 48,300 people’s homes to molten ash and soot.

Food, toilets and water stations were destroyed in the blaze – the same water stations that could help families protect themselves from Covid-19.

“At my age I hardly can go down to collect water. This is Allah’s blessing that Oxfam is giving us water. Now we have drinking water. Life is tough in the camp and now this virus is causing fear among all of us”. Photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam

Oxfam's response on the ground

As this summer’s monsoon season looms, our staff will be ready to provide hygiene kits to keep disease at bay. Each kit contains soap, a bucket with a secure lid to keep water clean, detergent, jugs for washing when there are no taps, and sanitary products for girls and women. These simple items are a matter of life and death for families in Cox’s Bazar.  

Our staff will also be preparing to build new water stations and toilets to keep countless children and their families safe from infection.

Families living in Cox’s Bazar have already survived three monsoons. With your support, we can and we will protect them from the elements once more.

Donate to our Rohingya Monsoon Appeal today

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On the hunt for a designer bargain? Fashion Relief TV with Oxfam Ireland is back!

Posted by: Joanne O'Connor

Tuesday 6 April 2021

Easter might be over, but that doesn’t mean the hunt for goodies has to be. Lorraine Keane is back with Fashion Relief TV, her sustainable fashion fundraiser with Oxfam Ireland, this Friday 9 April – and you’re guaranteed to find some fabulous bargains!

Earlier this year, Lorraine teamed up with broadcaster and fashion designer Brendan Courtney for a nationwide donation drive. Now, thanks to the generosity of some of Ireland’s most fashionable women, and boutiques from Dublin to Dingle, the Fashion Relief team is back with rails of pre-loved, brand-new and designer pieces.

The show, which airs on www.fashionrelief.ie on Friday from 7pm, will showcase designer labels like Preen, Celine, Ganni and Alexander McQueen, and much-loved Irish labels including Aideen Bodkin, Louise Kennedy and Fee G.

Here are just some of the fabulous items up for grabs on Fashion Relief TV this week:

FRNCH Coat: FRNCH mid-length coat is designed in a gorgeous orange and white wool mix adding a smart tailored look to your spring look. Original RRP: €165 | Fashion Relief Price (FRP): €55
Louise Kennedy: Fabulous cobalt crepe dress with embellished detail. RRP Original €995 | FRP: €145
Vanessa Seward: This label is renowned for sleek, tailored pieces and this button-down denim dress is no exception. Original RRP: €495 | FRP: €165
Ganni Newman: Floral print gathered maxi dress by cool Danish brand Ganni. Donated by Lorraine Keane. Original RRP €295 | FRP: €110

But that’s not all. Other items on the show include a Preen by Thornton Bregazzi dress which normally retails for €1,119 but has a FRP price of just €295! The show will also feature a number of Lulu Guinness bags, donated by Laura Whitmore, and bags from Alexander McQueen, Thomas Wylde and Jimmy Choo, donated by Caroline and Storm Downey.

“Thanks to the generosity of donors we have created our very own little Fashion Relief circular economy – as long as people continue to donate fabulous items, we will continue to have fabulous bargains up for grabs,” said Lorraine.

“When Covid hit, Fashion Relief pivoted to an always-on online platform with the tech knowhow of our incredible partners, Axonista, so we could continue to offer our supporters amazing bargains with the added bonus of shopping more sustainably while also supporting Oxfam’s global work to beat poverty."

Fashion Relief is part of Oxfam’s solution to ‘throwaway fashion’, encouraging people to donate pre-loved items and reduce the amount of clothes that end up in landfill as well as shopping second-hand to give pre-loved clothes a longer life. So, by bagging a bargain from Fashion Relief you’ll be shopping more sustainably and doing your bit for people and planet.

“I’ve seen first-hand how the profits raised by Fashion Relief help some of the poorest and most at risk people through Oxfam’s work. Even though things may have slowed down or come to a stop here, humanitarian crises are continuing, and in some cases worsening across the world,” Lorraine continued.

Just three weeks ago, a massive fire swept through the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. The fires left 10,000 families displaced and in urgent need of basics like food and water. Hundreds more were injured. This was yet another devastating blow to the Rohingya people who fled shocking violence and persecution in Myanmar. Oxfam continues to be able to support and respond to events like this because of the generous support of people across Ireland.

To celebrate the return of Fashion Relief TV, Lorraine also has an incredible giveaway lined up for one lucky winner. Check out her Instagram page @LorraineKeane for details on how to win a Loulerie necklace. She explained: “All people have to do to enter is RSVP for Fashion Relief TV via www.oxfamireland.org/fashionrelief, take a screen shot and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #FashionReliefTV to be in with a chance to win. People have until Friday at 6pm to enter.”

Browse Fashion TV now!

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Three years on: Fighting COVID-19 in Cox's Bazar - the worlds largest refugee camp

Posted by: Caroline Reid

Almost a million Rohingya Refugees live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh - sprawling camps built across a hilly landscape.

Photos by Fabeha Monir / Oxfam. 19 May 2020

August 25th, 2020 marks three years since the start of a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar, which resulted in more than 700,000 Rohingya people fleeing to Bangladesh in search of safety.

Stormy skies over Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Over half the refugee population are children.

12 years old Rofika* is carrying drinking water from the water distribution point and heading towards her tent. Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

Refugees live in close quarters, using communal toilets and water facilities - sometimes the most basic items, such as soap, are lacking.

Nur Jahan* inside her house in Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

"I have lived in this refugee camp for almost three years. There are many challenges we are facing including hot weather. It’s tough to live inside these tents. The water crisis is still here."

Shelters are made from bamboo and tarpaulin and are vulnerable to seasonal monsoons and cyclones.

Cox’s Bazar – Just days after the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Rohingya settlements of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Refugees and host community members faced the threat of Cyclone Amphan.

During the monsoon refugees describe a ‘crisis for dry space’, with wet mud encroaching into shelters leaving no dry areas to sleep.

Oxfam staff member Ali (26) works to prepare one of the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar before cyclone Amphan.

Conditions in the camps make refugees vulnerable to Covid-19.

Afiya Khatun* lives in a tent with nine family members. She is worried about the spread of coronavirus. Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's bazar, Bangladesh.

The camps are severely overcrowded with up to 10 people sharing one room and 250 people sharing one tap.

Every day Ameena* (8) spends hours with other neighbors of the Rohingya camp in the queue for collecting drinking water. Rohingya refugee camp Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

“My family live up in the hill. We do not have any water supply there. Everyday I have to queue hours for collecting drinking water. I have heard about the virus. We have to wash our hands and face after reaching to our tent. But none of us could wash our hands regularly because we have limited water for drinking, if we waste water by washing hands, I have to spend entire day queuing for water.”

Communal water taps make social distancing virtually impossible.

70 year-old Abu Salem* outside his tent, Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

“How can we stay at our tent. It’s very humid. I am living with eleven members of my family. We are asked to stay at home. I am very afraid of this virus. Everyone is wearing mask. I am wearing a mask too. But if I get infected by the disease all my family members will be infected. This is what I fear most”

When the virus first began spreading in the camps, rpeople were afraid as they had limited information.

Hafeza* with her child inside their tent where eight members of her family is living in one tent during COVID-19 outbreak in the camp. Rohingya refugee camp Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

“We are suffering a lot for humidity, and for water…We are queuing one hour for water. We have heard from others that our people are infected by corona virus. This is why we are now more afraid. Because of the disease people have to stay away from each other. So, I feel fear. It can spread from one another and people get infected easily. This is causing us fear”

Laila and Abu Begum* inside their tent during the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown in Rohingya refugee Camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

“We are very afraid because every day we are hearing someone is getting infected by the virus. My husband and I are staying at home. We do not know what is waiting for us.”

Oxfam and our partners are adapting our work to ensure that people get what they need in these challenging times.

Oxfam volunteer Zahid Hossain (20) preparing to go into the field to work with safety measures during the COVID-19 outbreak in the camp. Cox's Bazar, Rohingya refugee camp. Bangladesh
Oxfam staff member Iffat Tahmid Fatema is providing service in the camp during the COVID-19 outbreak. Cox's BazarRohingya Refugee Camp, Bangladesh

We’re helping people stay healthy by sharing information about the virus.

Oxfam staff member Iffat is speaking to Bibi Jan about hygiene maintentance during COVID-19 outbreak.

“I have learned what should we do to save ourselves from the virus. I will share this information in my area. We have to maintain distance and need to stay at home now. We need to wash our hands every time we return from outside."

Oxfam staff member Rokeya is speaking to Imam Abdul Hossain about hygiene maintentance and importance of distance while praying during COVID-19 outbreak. Cox's Bazar Rohingya refugee camp, Bangladesh.

We’re providing soap and hygiene kits.

Hafeza* is cleaing her hands by sitting at the doorstep of her tent during COVID-19 outbreak in the camp. Rohingya refugee camp Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

We’re helping refugees keep social distance.

Oxfam responding to the COVID-19 outbreak in the camp - markings on the ground are designed to help communities maintain social distancing.

Oxfam and our partners provide clean water.

Noor Haque repairing a mobile phone inside the local market in the Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

“Everyone is afraid of the virus. But we do not have enough water in the camp… Oxfam is distributing water inside the camp. We can only have drinking water in our home. How can we manage water to wash our hands”

We are working to maintain water and sanitation facilities.

Oxfam staff are cleaning drains and clearing logged water during Cyclone Amphan. Cox's Bazar Rohingya refugee camp, Bangladesh.

We help refugees prepare for storms.

Oxfam staff, Md. Yusuf and Abu Nayeem secure a water supply tank inside the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar to protect it from the impact of Cyclone Amphan.

We are adapting to COVID-19 with new innovations, like contactless handwashing stations which are activated with a foot peddle to avoid transmission of the virus from touching the soap and taps.

Nur* is using the recently installed Contactless Handwashing Device in the Rohingya camp.

The handwashing stations are activated with a foot peddle to avoid transmission of the virus from touching the soap and taps.

Toyoba Khatun*, MD. Hossain*, Abdul Malek* using the newly installed soap dispensers for washing hands and keeping distance.
Portrait of Abdul Malek* (80) inside his tent. Abdul Malek is using mask and washing hands regularly. Now he is using the new installed contactless hand washing device by Oxfam.

“I have never seen something like this before. Everyone from our blocks are using this new machine provided by Oxfam. We maintain distance by staying inside the circles made by them. They informed us that we should always maintain distance from each other, wear mask whenever we go out from the tent. I am afraid about the new disease. Already I heard the news of death. We cannot do much, we can only take precaution and stay safe."

Nur Jahan* inside her house wearing a mask to protect herself from COVID-19 as she has to go outside in the yard for her child. Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, Banglaesh

"I know about the Coronavirus. I heard that we have to clean hands often with soap. Then we have to dry our hands. We have to do it to prevent the disease. We are not afraid. We know how to wash hands, how to be safe. We heard from volunteers, they told us."

Since 2018, close to a million Rohingya people, more than half of them children, have fled fled prosecution and violence in Myanmar and are now living as refugees in camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh They are living in extremely dire conditions amid increasing threats of floods and destruction to the camps on top of a potentially devastating COVID-19 health crisis as cases continue to be confirmed in the camps.

Help protect Rohingya people

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Photographing the pandemic – Fabeha Monir in Bangladesh

Posted by: Caroline Reid
Nur Jahan* photographed by Fabeha Monir inside her house. Nur* wears a mask to protect herself from COVID-19. Photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam

Fabeha Monir is a Dhaka-based visual journalist and member of Women Photograph. Her work explores themes of social development, migration, gender-based violence and forced exile in marginalised communities. Fabeha told us about her experience documenting the impact of COVID-19 on Rohingya people living in Cox’s Bazar – home to the world’s largest refugee camp.

“When I was working with Oxfam to report on the impact of COVID-19, Cyclone Amphan hit. It created fear. In most of the Rohingya refugee camps, there are no cyclone shelters.

“I have covered major disasters, but nothing like this before. The fear and grief people hold is contagious. COVID-19 is everyone’s fight.

“Upwards of 60,000 to 90,000 people are crammed into each square kilometre of the camp, with families of 12 sharing small, flimsy shelters. Everyone is breathing the same air inside that shelter, coughing and sneezing. The 34 camps have a population density more than 40 times above the average in Bangladesh.

When I interviewed and photographed Nur, it was just as the cyclone was starting to hit.

“She walked with her baby in her arms on a narrow path between the temporary homes and went to wash her hands with the contactless handwashing device that Oxfam had installed. Hunger, a lack of water and COVID-19 has made people’s lives miserable, but Nur still has strength. Nur and her daughter left an ever-lasting impression on me.

Cyclone Amphan approaching the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in May this year. Photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam

“Super-cyclone Amphan left a trail of devastation throughout north-east India and the Bangladesh coast, with over 80 deaths reported. Thousands of homes and crops were destroyed, compounding the suffering for many communities already hit by COVID-19 and the impact of lockdown.

“In the camps, Oxfam, partner staff and Rohingya volunteers were on the ground making preparations before the cyclone hit, which was encouraging to see and document. I met 24-year-old Abul Alam, who was spraying disinfectant in the drains and alleys, and Md. Yusuf and Abu Nayeem, who were securing the water tanks with ropes. Their commitment to serve the community impressed me a lot.

Oxfam staff member Abul Alam (24) in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: Fabeha Monir/Oxfam

Water is essential, especially during the pandemic.

“Shortages of water can cause disputes. Under these circumstances, it’s incredible to see how Oxfam is supporting the Rohingya community with their contactless handwashing devices and providing drinking water for the majority of the camp.

“I am working hard to tell stories that matter. But this fight is no more a lonely battle. We are all in this together.

“I am not on the ground to just report on the deaths. We need to highlight the struggles of people who have no access to isolation or safety. In any system of oppression, the most vulnerable will always suffer the most and be heard the least. Violence against women has increased. Homeless women and children, transgender people, sex workers and the refugee community are all suffering from this crisis.

Every time I take a photograph of someone, I become responsible for their history.

“The photographer provides the first line of ‘ethical defence’. They must follow the ethical code of practice and take responsibility for the images they capture. Photography can show the horror of war, the tragedy of an incident and the hardship of poverty, providing information that can be critical for decision-makers.

“I often ask myself how my stories can drive change. Visual journalists play an important role, providing vital information to communities affected by crisis. We have to continue to question how we tell these stories, make an impact, and minimise risks, both for our subjects and ourselves.

As a journalist and photographer, I work very closely with people.

“While this is an important story, it must not come at the expense of our health. I have to remind myself to maintain physical distance while I work. Wearing protective gear and breathing in it is hard. It can also be unnerving disinfecting myself every other minute. I must stay calm, not rush, and focus on what’s important.

“When I return from work and edit my images, I feel strange. I do not know when this pandemic will end, how people who live at the edge of society will survive. The family who have a little rice left in their kitchen; how will they continue living and dreaming for tomorrow?

Fabeha Monir on assignment for Oxfam in the Rohingya refugee camps, Cox’s Bazar. Photo: Mohammad Rakibul Hasan

There is no separation between my life and work.

“We can’t unplug from the suffering we are also experiencing while covering the pandemic. I look to the courage and strength of the people I photograph – this gives me the ability to wake up each day and continue reporting.

“Without any warning, our lives have now shifted from order to chaos. We cannot make plans. We are restless, not knowing what will happen next. But the astonishing part of covering this historic time is the acts of solidarity.

“We are more united mentally and spiritually than we have ever been before, though we have to distance ourselves physically.

“We are unique. We haven’t given up hope. While working closely with health professionals, humanitarian workers and security personnel, I have learned we must continue our work.

“When I document the lives of refugees, or the struggle of a single mother working to feed her children, it reminds me how we have to hold on to hope. If we let the pandemic take that away, there will be no way we can come out of it alive.”


*Name changed to protect identity.
 

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