Rohingya refugee crisis - How we have helped so far

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Since a brutal campaign of violence from the Myanmar military forced over 650,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, Children on the Edge have been responding to the crisis. Already working in the Kutupalong camp for seven years, we were uniquely placed to offer humanitarian support.

Thanks to the generous support of many donors, we have:

A situation assessment in November revealed that many of the wells implemented by other agencies had been dug too shallow, or built near latrines causing contamination.

All our tube wells have been well placed and dug to over 600ft.
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Hassan had been in the camp for two months when we dug the new well in his section. He said “There are four other tube wells in our section of the camp, but this is the only one which gives clean water.

​Before we used to just use the dirty water or walk about 1 km to another deep well in the registered part of the camp”.

Rama his daughter (above) adds “My arms would get very tired carrying the water from the registered camp. I’m very happy we now have clean water close to where we live”.

Many latrines we saw in November had been placed either by water sources, creating contamination, or on steep inclines, leaving them at high risk of being washed away once the rainy season comes. They were mostly full or broken, rendering them useless for residents of the camp.

The latrines installed by Children on the Edge are dug to a proper depth and are being maintained by community committees who have been consulted throughout the process.

Naeem has been in the camp for three months. He describes how “Before people would come and build a well or a latrine and then they leave. They don’t talk to us. We don’t know who they are. They just hang up their sign and leave when it is finished. But these people talk to us. We know who they are. When the other toilets and wells are broken, there is nothing we can do.Some of the wells only worked for one week. It’s a big waste of money”.

Alongside rice provisions from the World Food Program, our parcels included food items that were higher in nutrition, including lentils, sugar, salt and oil. We also included Oral Rehydration Sachets (ORS).

Aadila, age 30 said of the parcels “I am careful with how much I cook every day. We each eat one handful of rice a day with a small portion of the lentils. I can feed my whole family this way for 2 weeks.”

Food provision is now being well co-ordinated by the larger agencies, with decent levels of nutrition, in adequate amounts.

By doubling up our established classrooms in Kutupalong, we were able to provide safe spaces for up to 2,250 newly arrived Rohingya children each day.

The children talk of skipping, games, singing and how kind their teachers are. They are focused on the songs they have learned, who is winning the games, and what they have drawn, rather than what they have been through.

​Sofaya is seven years old, she says “I like when my teacher plays games with us. She is fun to play with. She makes me feel better when I am sad. I like to skip rope. I learned to jump rope at the centre. It’s a very fun way to spend time. My teacher even tries to jump rope too sometimes!”

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The teachers here have been trained over the years how to support children with trauma, and how to make the space child friendly, welcoming and fun.

Staff don’t address trauma directly, but create a safe environment where children can forget where they are and what they have been through.

​Ayasha (left) has been teaching for a few years and says “As the teacher we need to show them a smile every day. This will make the centre feel like a happy place for them. And then they want to come back again the next day”.

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We have also provided 5250 Solar lights  - without a source of light for the evening many families have trouble with cooking and other tasks, and travel around the camp is dangerous for women at night. The lighting units are strong, waterproof and portable.

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Going forward our main concern is that these children have consistent support. We will have a strong focus on providing education in a safe environment for newly arrived Rohingya refugee children. This will take the form of:

- 150 new Classrooms for Rohingya refugee children in the Kutupalong camp.

- Continuing support for nine Community Learning Centres in Cox’s Bazar, which already cater for a large number of Rohingya children. We anticipate these may host many more newly arrived Rohingya refugee children as they move on from the camps further in to Bangladesh.​

Together these will provide education for 8,400 children a year through 168 classrooms. This work will draw on our experience, providing colourful and innovative schools which stand out for their excellence. If you would like to find out more about education in the camps this year, don't hesitate to get in touch, or lend your support by clicking the buttons below. 

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