Over two years on from one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time, we ask you not to forget the Rohingya people.
Over two years on from one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time, we ask you not to forget the Rohingya people.
In August 2017, the Rohingya community faced a violent genocide in Myanmar. It left thousands dead, and hundreds of thousands traumatised and fleeing to Bangladesh in search of safety.
There are now 1.1 million Rohingya refugees living in the extremely densely populated Cox’s Bazar, making it the world’s largest refugee camp. These people are struggling to survive day by day without access to proper healthcare, sanitation, education or nutrition.
Penny Appeal has provided emergency aid to over 391,178 Rohingya refugees so far, but now COVID-19 threatens their safety once more.
We’re currently monitoring for COVID-19 in Cox’s Bazar and providing training for medical staff on coronavirus prevention and control. Our teams on the ground are holding hygiene sessions for Rohingya refugees, as well as distributing food packs, Hygiene Kits and Coronavirus Testing Kits.
This is life or death for the Rohingya people. Please support our Coronavirus Emergency appeal and help keep vulnerable refugees safe and protected.
Counselling for Rohingya Refugees
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Alongside our partner Action Aid, we have given one-to-one and group counselling to 396 men and boys.
We have also given 394 Rohingya women and girls free one-to-one psychological counselling and follow-up support, as well as running group therapy for 503 women. Every single one of these women and teenage girls has lived through sexual assault and violence, many of them being attacked during the violence in Myanmar.
It’s heart-breaking that the Rohingya have been struggling to cope with their trauma on their own for years now, but we are happy that we can finally support them in their recovery. Although the counselling is currently on hold due to Covid-19, we plan to re-start it as soon as we can do so safely, so that we can continue to support traumatised Rohingya refugees.
Donate to our Rohingya Emergency appeal now, and help Rohingya refugees get the physical and mental health support they need.
Your Donations In Action
The crisis is vast, but thanks to your Rohingya charity, we are making a BIG difference to those in need.
We’ve provided free medical care to 60,000 Rohingya refugees, nutritional support to 20,000 people who were battling malnutrition, essentials like cooking stoves and baby clothes to 3,000 families, over 112,000 litres of clean water, and sanitary blocks and latrines for hundreds of families.
With your help, we’ve also been able to offer emergency shelter to 250 families, as well as establishing many Women, Adolescent and Child Friendly Spaces, and one new Men & Boys Centre so that people can come together in a safe space to overcome their trauma as a supported community.
None of this amazing work would have been possible without your generosity. Your Rohingya charity is transforming lives, shining a light in the darkest circumstances – THANK YOU!
Read on to learn more about how you can donate to refugees and help the Rohingya people.
Health and Nutrition Centres
The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.3 million Rohingya people are in need of health services, many of whom live in Cox’s Bazar.
We’ve set up 3 Health and Nutrition Centres, to help people get the treatment they need to be healthy and happy.
Through our Health and Nutrition Centres, we have provided free medical care to over 18,000 Rohingya people, including 10,800 families. We’ve also provided nutritional support to over 20,000 people, Alhamdulillah!
Child Friendly Spaces
We have opened 7 child-friendly centres in the camps, which are a life-line for families!
Our Child Friendly Spaces offer activities such as psychological support, counselling, and lessons on hygiene awareness. 500 children are currently enrolled, receiving the help they need.
These child friendly spaces are so important in helping children find normality and happiness among the devastation they have witnessed. The children are unable to attend formal school at the moment, and many children are most concerned with supporting their family through their current difficulties.
Women Friendly Spaces
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled their homes in Myanmar in 2017 following deadly violence, and many women were victims of sexual violence and abuse.
Penny Appeal has been working to champion the mental, physical and economic wellbeing of Rohingya women. We have worked to support 13 Women Friendly Spaces inside the camps to give thousands of women and adolescent girls the access they need to health information, protection services, and psychosocial support.
Furthermore, some spaces provide life skills training to support women’s livelihood and create financial independence. This is central to the empowerment of Rohingya women, helping them to improve their circumstances, and where necessary, leave abusive partners.
We have also supported 2310 women and girls with Dignity Kits, including sanitary towels, underwear, a dress and a thami, a traditional skirt worn by Rohingya women.
These spaces give women the opportunity to talk about their experiences, fears and hopes with trained counsellors and medical practitioners, in a safe and private place.
Monsoon Shelter for Rohingya Refugees
When Rohingya families first arrived in Cox’s Bazar, they had almost no shelter and were using tents or simple cotton sheets for covering.
We have been working to upgrade the current temporary shelters, as well as building more permanent bamboo and tarpaulin structures to better withstand environmental changes and conditions. We have provided Monsoon shelters for more than 250 families, as well as latrines, safe drinking water and washrooms.
Our shelter upgrades have been designed to be more sustainable by using stronger and more resilient tarpaulin and ropes. Moreover, they are better able to withstand the monsoon season and the potential resulting landslides than the previous temporary shelters.
Your Rohingya donation could provide a family with a safe shelter that can withstand the monsoon, and give them the security they lost when they fled Myanmar.
Life in a Refugee Camp
Over two years on from one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time, we ask you not to forget the Rohingya people.
Our teams in Cox’s Bazar are doing amazing work, helping Rohingya refugees to survive as well as empowering them to thrive. Your Rohingya charity has the power to keep our life-changing work going, and help us start even more compassionate, effective and innovative projects in the Rohingya refugee camps.
Please donate today to support Rohingya refugees who need your help, now more than ever.
To learn more about Penny Appeal, click here.
