FOLLOWING the influx of some 26,000 pregnant mothers, 40,000 lactating kids, and 2,00,000 children out of an estimated more than 4,00,000 migrated Rohingyas from Myanmar – many are now at high risk due to lack of proper health care, food, water and medicines. When some of the high-ups of the government arrogantly boasted that there would be no shortage of relief goods and food, it sounded as if the government was prepared to tackle the Rohingya crisis by predicting it in advance. Many had taken the statement with a pinch of salt. The fact that the government’s authorities concerned miscalculated food and medical needs for the growing number of refugees has now become clear.
According to the Chief of Child Protection of UNICEF Bangladesh, more than 2,00,000 Rohingya children are at incredible risk and they need urgent support. At least 13 percent of the Rohingya women are either pregnant or lactating – mothers who need life-saving maternal, pre-natal and newborn health care services. Moreover, amount of food per refugee is not enough. Thus, the situation leaves behind many to live life in a half-starved condition.
In the midst of scarcity of food, medicine and clothes the worst victims are the children. Needs mentioning, this is a growing humanitarian crisis and children are in the heart of this crisis. Sixty percent of all refugees are children, and that’s why the need of the hour is to pinpoint their needs and distribute aid in an equal and fair manner to all. We don’t want just mass distribution of relief materials in an ad-hoc basis – food, safe drinking water and clothing should be proportionately distributed as per an individual’s need.
If our relief and medical authorities are anyhow unable to cope with the mounting crisis they must admit it. There is no shame in admitting the truth. And accordingly, they should appeal for specific items from the international donors.
Also we call for donor agencies and other countries to increase their food and medical aid for the refugees in general and for the children in particular. Also, we don’t want avoidable deaths to snatch away the lives of Rohingyas. They have fled Myanmar not to die in Bangladesh.
