Displacement and Discrimination

For almost six years, the picturesque Bangladeshi seaside town of Cox’s Bazar has been at the epicentre of a dire humanitarian catastrophe that has captured the world’s attention. Unfortunately, this critical problem has not been addressed despite extensive media attention. The Rohingya people are at the heart of this continuing crisis because they escaped persecution and violence in Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh.

As a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, the Rohingya have faced persecution and violence for decades. An upsurge in violence in August 2017 was the last straw, forcing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad. The aftermath of this has been heart-breaking and awful. One of the worst refugee crises ever, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). When the Rohingya arrived in Bangladesh, they were greeted with overwhelming difficulties. The Rohingya faced appalling living conditions when they arrived in Bangladesh. Overcrowding and a lack of basic amenities plagued the makeshift refugee camps. Persecution, cruelty, and uprooting have all taken a terrible psychological toll on the Rohingya. Therefore, many residents of the region suffer from both physical and mental illnesses.

Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar face various challenges, including a lack of work opportunities. Those who want self-sufficiency and to contribute to their host communities have fewer employment opportunities as a result of legal restraints and societal discrimination. The Rohingya are unable to support themselves economically. Therefore, they depend on humanitarian help to satisfy their most basic needs. The international community and humanitarian organisations emphasise that they have helped those in need by providing them with food, shelter, and medical care. Also, one should know about certain special challenges connected with this kind of assistance.

Although the international community’s aid to Rohingya refugees is commendable, it must be acknowledged that it has put a strain on already limited resources. The Rohingya crisis is only one of several global humanitarian issues that need funding. The aid organisations in Cox’s Bazar are under tremendous strain as a result of the diversion of resources brought about by the emergence of new crises throughout the world.

The future of the Rohingya people is in jeopardy due to the instability of the aid situation in Cox’s Bazar. As funds continue diminishing, concerns grow that aid levels will only worsen. This situation might have a negative outcome. One of the many terrible consequences of this situation is a lost generation of Rohingya children who will not get the chance to get an education or advance in life. The Rohingya refugee community has shown incredible resilience through their various trials. One indicator of a person’s strength is the degree to which they are able to preserve memories and artefacts from their homeland. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) collects stories of survivors who overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles.