The Rohingya Crisis: How We're Helping Refugees Rebuild Their Lives
Since August 2017, almost 1 million Rohingya refugees have escaped to Bangladesh, fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar. Although it has been almost two years, they are still living in ‘the world’s largest refugee camp’ (UN), with no hope of returning home.
Alhamdulillah, your generosity has been incredible in responding to the emergency, ensuring refugees received life-saving relief like food and shelter. We are still distributing this emergency relief in the camp, but we are also working to improve living conditions and help refugees rebuild their lives.
Here’s an update on our current projects:
Mid-Term Shelters
We are building new shelters in Cox’s Bazar, primarily for widow-led families and new refugees arriving in the camp. These Mid-Term Shelters are stronger than the transitional shelters - they have concrete pillars and cemented floors, and are able to withstand the cyclone season and monsoon rains. They are also cleaner and more spacious, and are being built on new land allocated by the Government of Bangladesh.
The Prophet (saw) said, ‘There is no right for the son of Adam in other than these things: A house in which he lives, a garment which covers his nakedness, and some bread and water’. [Tirmidhi]
With the monsoon season just around the corner, it is vital that we fulfil the rights of Rohingya refugees and provide the strong shelters they need to endure the extreme weather conditions.
Children’s Centres
Almost 60% of Rohingya refugees are children. Thousands have been separated from their parents and need urgent support, and many don’t have access to learning opportunities.
Our Children’s Centre provides education, playtime facilities, counselling, nutritious food and clean water for up to 70 children a day. Having a safe space to learn, play and grow is vital to protect children and help them heal from the trauma of the crisis.
‘I can play here with my friends. I can draw pictures - I draw anything, whatever I like. Whenever I come here, I forget about what happened in Myanmar. The Children’s Centre is like my home’. - Sufia, aged 10
By donating to our Children’s Centre, you will be helping vulnerable children like Sufia recover from their past and build a better future.
Medical Clinics
Since there are almost 1 million refugees living in crowded, unhygienic conditions Cox’s Bazar, it is essential that they have access to regular medical care to prevent the spread of illness. Our Medical Clinics not only provide free healthcare and medicine, they also offer mental health services, as well as running vaccination programmes and nutrition testing which specifically target children, pregnant women and new mothers.
‘I was ill after my son was born. If I feel sick, there’s no one to look after my children and my family. Whenever I go to MH Clinic, I get proper treatment. I also tell my relatives and neighbours to go there. I am thankful to MH for their support’. - Amina, aged 25, mother of four
Give to our Medical Clinics to so families like Amina’s have somewhere to go when they get sick.
Women-Friendly Spaces
We offer a wide variety of services to thousands of women and girls, including responding to and preventing gender-based violence, providing medical care and counselling to survivors of sexual violence, and psycho-social support to help them address past traumatic experiences.
Additionally, we offer a range of reproductive and maternal care, such as distributing sanitary towels, providing nutrient supplements to pregnant women and new mothers, and ensuring the safe delivery of infants and post-natal care.
‘I always visit the WFS and attend their sessions. Now I am concerned about hygiene and nutrition, and I have more awareness about child marriage. We need more facilities like this to make our lives safe and secure’. - Tofayra, aged 13
To help us continue to offer these essential services, donate to our Rohingya Emergency Fund.
Deep Water Wells and Latrines
Alhamdulillah, we have recently completed the construction of 10 Deep Water Wells, 10 Women-Friendly Latrines and 200 Solar Street Lights!
Access to water and sanitation will decrease the spread of waterborne diseases, which will help reduce child deaths in the camp. It is also important for Rohingya women to be able to travel safely when accessing water or latrines, which is we installed solar street lamps in the camp, as well as distributing solar torches to women and girls.
Donate to our Rohingya Emergency Fund to help us carry out more projects like these to ensure the hygiene and safety of the Rohingya community.
