Though Bangladesh has showed extraordinary generosity by opening its doors to Rohingyas, their fate remains very uncertain even after one year of their shelter at makeshift camps in Bangladesh, said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International or Doctors Without Borders, reports UNB.
It said the donors and governments with influence over the government of Myanmar have failed to show the necessary leadership by not pressuring it to end persecution against the Rohingyas, which is the cause of their displacement.
Besides, the UN-led humanitarian response in Bangladesh is, to date, only 31.7 per cent funded.
Host states in the region deny them any formal legal status, despite the fact that they are refugees and have been made stateless by Myanmar, MSF said.
One year since over 700,000 Rohingya refugees were forced to flee from Myanmar into Bangladesh, unacceptable living conditions in haphazard makeshift camps, continues to trap refugees in a cycle of suffering and poor health, it said.
On August 25, 2017, the Myanmar Army launched renewed 'clearance operations' against the Rohingya people causing widespread violence and destruction, and forcing more than 706,000 to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.
They joined over 200,000 others that had fled to Bangladesh after previous waves of violence, bringing the total number of Rohingyas hosted in Cox's Bazar district to over 919,000.
In the 12 months since, MSF has provided over 656,200 consultations, equivalent to more than two-thirds of Rohingya refugees, in 19 health facilities or mobile clinics.
At first, more than half of MSF's patients were treated for violence-related injuries, but other health concerns soon emerged that were linked to the overcrowded and unhygienic conditions in the camps.
"It's unacceptable that watery diarrhoea remains one of the biggest health issues we see in the camps," says Pavlo Kolovos, MSF head of mission in Bangladesh.
The infrastructure to meet even the most basic needs of the population is still not in place, and that seriously affects people's wellbeing, according to MSF.
"We're in a situation where it's difficult to even refer to Rohingya refugees as exactly that,"says Kolovos adding, "By refusing to acknowledge the legal rights of Rohingyas as refugees, or granting them any other legal status, intervening governments and organisations keep them in a state of acute vulnerability."
Healthcare funding stands at a mere 16.9 per cent, leaving significant gaps in the provision of vital medical services.
The Rohingyas have long been excluded from healthcare in Myanmar, meaning they have very low immunisation coverage. Preventative health measures are therefore crucial.
Vaccination campaigns, supported by MSF, have been instrumental in preventing outbreaks of cholera and measles, and in containing the spread of diphtheria.
Under the pretext that the Rohingyas will soon be returning to Myanmar, the humanitarian response has been hampered by restrictions placed on the provision of long term or substantial aid.
The conditions endured by the Rohingyas in the haphazard, makeshift camps fall far short of accepted international humanitarian standards, with the refugees still living in the same temporary plastic and bamboo shelters that were built when they first arrived.
"In an area where cyclones and monsoons are common, there are almost no stable structures for Rohingya refugees, which has a tangible impact on their security and dignity," said Kolovos.
One refugee that MSF spoke to described how vulnerable his family felt in the camp "When it rains we sit together, all our family members, [holding the house down] so the house won't blow away. At night it's very dark here, we have no lights."
Considering the level of violence that the Rohingyas faced in Myanmar and the trauma this will have caused, services to treat mental health issues and sexual and gender-based violence injuries remain inadequate.
They are also complicated by the lack of legal status, which prevents people from reasonable access to justice and the rule of law.
Even worse, the Rohingyas remain forcibly confined to the camps, and most of the refugees in the camps have poor access to clean water, latrines, education, job opportunities and healthcare.
"These restrictions not only limit the quality and scale of aid, but also force the Rohingyas to depend entirely on humanitarian aid. It deprives them of any chance to build a dignified future for themselves and makes every day an unnecessary struggle for survival," said Kolovos.
Many of the refugees that MSF teams speak to are very anxious about the future.
"I've lost my strength, my ability to work. I always have so many worries, worries about the future," says Abu Ahmad, a Rohingya father of eight. "I think about food, clothes, peace and our suffering... If I stay in this place for 10 years ... or even for one month, I'll have to suffer this pain."
More durable solutions must be found to respond to what is likely to be a protracted period of displacement.
"The reality is that hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas have been displaced in Bangladesh and elsewhere for decades, and it may be decades until they can safely return to Myanmar, if ever. The scale and scope of the Rohingyas' suffering merits a much more robust response - locally, regionally and globally," Kolovos added.
"Pressure must meanwhile continue to be exerted on the Government of Myanmar to halt its campaign against the Rohingyas," he insisted.
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