On August 25, 2017, the Rohingya people in Myanmar were the targets of a large-scale campaign of merciless violence. More than 700,000 people fled for their lives across the border into Bangladesh in a matter of weeks, joining thousands who had fled previous attacks. Today, nearly one million Rohingya still live in crowded, unsafe, and unsanitary conditions in what is now the largest refugee camp in the world in Cox's Bazar.
To mark five years of continued displacement with no solution in sight, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) gathered testimonies from several Rohingya refugees who share their hopes and fears. "We were born as humans and we wish to live a dignified life," said 65-year-old Rohingya refugee Mohamed Hussein. "We are requesting the world to help us live as humans."
The Rohingya are especially vulnerable as stateless people, long denied citizenship in Myanmar. With no official refugee status in Bangladesh, the Rohingya have little access to employment or education and remain dependent on humanitarian aid. MSF teams see the impact of these conditions on patients' health—an increase in skin infections, waterborne diseases, and chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure. As the largest provider of mental health care in the camp, MSF also sees an increase in needs for psychological and psychiatric care. MSF will continue to provide care for the Rohingya and to advocate for greater international efforts to ensure that they have a chance for a better future.
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