Thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh protested deteriorating camp conditions and rising hunger on the ninth anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar.
BANGLADESH: Thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s sprawling camps protested dire conditions on Tuesday, as they marked nine years since a military crackdown drove them out of neighbouring Myanmar.
More than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, many of whom fled Myanmar during the brutal crackdown in 2017, live in about 30 overcrowded camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Refugee group the United Council of Rohingya (UCR) said it organised the rally to “remember the atrocities committed” and highlight the “ongoing humanitarian crisis”.
Sabikunnahar, 32, who fled to Bangladesh in 2017, said memories remained painful.
“Beheading our near and dear ones, setting fire to our homes and evicting us from our land — the military occupied our land around nine years ago,” she said.
“On this day, my heart gets torn apart. Look at my eyes — they are still wet with tears for my country.”
Conditions in the camps have deteriorated with funding cuts and reduced food rations, aid agencies say. Children make up more than half the population.
“An entire generation of children is growing up in exile,” said Golam Mostofa, who heads the charity Save the Children in the camps.
“Yet instead of seeing progress towards safety, rights and a lasting solution, families are facing worsening hunger, fewer opportunities and deepening uncertainty about their future,” he added.
One in three refugees is expected to face “crisis” hunger levels or worse between September and December, according to Save the Children.
