MSF report published on February 18, 2010 calls for end to violence, increased protection for highly vulnerable population. ‘A violent crackdown on unrecognized Rohingya refugees in southern Bangladesh has driven thousands from their homes, into a makeshift camp in Kutupalong, where MSF has been providing medical care.’

From the article published on MSF’s Website:

“More than 6,000 people have arrived at the makeshift camp since October—2,000 in January alone,” said MSF Head of Mission in Bangladesh Paul Critchley. “People are crowding into a crammed and unsanitary patch of ground with no infrastructure to support them. They are prevented from working to support themselves and are not permitted food aid. As the numbers swell and resources become increasingly scarce, we are extremely concerned about the deepening crisis.”

For decades, thousands of Rohingya, an ethnic and religious minority from Myanmar, have sought refuge in Bangladesh. However, a mere 28,000 are recognised as prima facie refugees by the Government and live in official camps under the supervision of UNHCR. In sharp contrast, more than 200,000 people struggle to survive unrecognized and largely unassisted. In a densely populated country in which strong competition over work, living space, and resources is inevitable at a local level, the stateless Rohingya are left highly vulnerable.

Visit Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Website and follow them on Twitter @MSF_USA. The sideshow here will tell you a lot about what is happening there… Faites circuler l’information !

Photo credit: Bangladesh 2010 © Giulio Di Sturco/VII Mentor