Newly arrived Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar face dire conditions

The 11-member family of Mohammed Saber arrived at Refugee Camp 26 in Cox’s Bazar on August 5, fleeing the atrocities of the Arakan Army in the Maungdaw Township of Rakhine State, Myanmar.
It’s been almost a month since the family sought refuge, and they have been living with Saber’s relative, Jomir Ahmed, who arrived at the camp in 2017 along with 740,000 other Rohingya who have fled the military crackdown by Myanmar junta troops.
Jomir’s family, consisting of seven members, now shares a makeshift shanty under a tarpaulin shed with Saber’s family, making a total of 18 people living in cramped conditions.
“We cannot provide nutritious food for our family with the monthly allocation provided by the UN agencies,” said Jomir Ahmed.
“Now, with our relatives seeking shelter with us after fleeing attacks by the Arakan Army in Myanmar, it has become an extra burden. We must protect and provide for them during this hard time,” he added.
“We are not permitted to work outside to earn a living. Our only means of survival is the UN agencies’ rations,” Jomir said.
In the afternoon, the family members were seen having a meal on the ground in a section of their shanty, separated from the kitchen. Their main dishes were rice and smashed dry chili, accompanied by a vegetable stew.
Each registered Rohingya refugee receives a $10 voucher every month as a food ration from donor agencies, which barely covers the cost of food. This struggle is not unique to Jomir’s family but is the reality across the entire camp, as a significant number of refugees have recently arrived in the camps, fleeing what they describe as a “second wave of genocide against the Rohingya”.
Kamal Hossain, chairman of the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals Representative Committee (FDMN-RC), said that the Arakan Army is the main perpetrator of the current crackdown on the Rohingya, accusing them of killing, raping women, and setting fire to Rohingya households. The Myanmar junta troops are also committing atrocities against them, as both parties attempt to root out the Rohingya population from their homeland, Kamal said.
According to Kamal, around 50,000 Rohingya refugees have sought shelter in Bangladesh in recent months, with the majority arriving after August 4.
Kefayet Ullah, a young Rohingya leader and teacher, mentioned that refugees cross the Naf River, the natural border between Bangladesh and Myanmar, every night to enter Bangladesh. They rarely bring money or valuables, as they are often robbed by both Bangladeshi and Myanmar brokers along the way, he added.
Refugee, Relief, and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman reiterated that the official stance of Bangladesh is not to allow any more Myanmar nationals to enter illegally. However, many Rohingya refugees have recently arrived at the camps, fleeing attacks in Myanmar, particularly on August 4 and 5, during a period of instability in the country.
He estimated that the number of new arrivals is between 8,000 and 10,000.
“We have informed our higher authorities about the current situation and are working to arrange food assistance for the new arrivals on humanitarian grounds,” Rahman said.
Regarding the issue, Shari Yesmin Nijman, a communication officer for UNHCR, said, “The border between Bangladesh and Myanmar remains officially closed and under the surveillance of the Bangladesh Border Guards. We are closely monitoring the situation at the border, advocating with the Bangladesh authorities for access to asylum for civilians fleeing the conflict in Myanmar, and providing assistance.”