Over the past 2 years, we have helped Rohingya survivors of the Tula Toli massacre and their neighbours with hundreds of payments to buy food, get access to health care, build and repair shelters, buy fuel and solar panels.
Now Rohingya refugees face Ramadan and the threat of Coronavirus lockdown, living in cramped shelters with little food and extremely limited access to healthcare. Development activities have been halted in the camps as NGOs have had their access restricted and the price of food has increased. Moreover rations have been reduced.
We already have assisted with workshops in the camps to inform people of the risk of the virus and ways to try and keep safe. With your support, we would like to continue providing cash payments to Rohingya families living in the refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Thus far we have raised approximately £2500. We have distributed to around 250 families and more payments are being made by our Rohingya fixer who live in the camps and in Cox Bazar. This is very much a drop in the ocean. However, in the context of the lockdown, even this small support has been very important for members of this community. Rohingya are not allowed to work but some did work informally which has now been not possible in the lockdown. We have spoken to quite a few community members and lack of money and tightened rations have contributed to stress and tension.
We have also provided socially-distanced Iftari for almost 500 people on different days. One family buys and makes the food on a given day and then these are distributed to other households. One plate of iftari containing bhajee, cucumber, puffed rice, chickpeas, salad, aubergine fritter, dates and a drink costs £0.80pence.
With this background, provision of healthy and wholesome food has become hugely important. Approximately £10 will enable a household to buy vegetables for a month, and this may help them to stay healthy.
You can donate for this cause by visiting this link: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/rohingya-lockdown
