The United Nations estimates that close to 900,000 Rohingya refugees have fled violence
and persecution in Myanmar and now live within displacement camps in Bangladesh.
1
The Rohingya are among the world’s most persecuted population because even though
they have lived in the Rakhine State of Myanmar for centuries, they are denied citizenship
under law.
2
,
3
Given their precarious status they began a gradual exodus from Myanmar (then known
as Burma) to Bangladesh in the 1970s
4
; however, the pace of this movement changed rapidly on August 25, 2017, as violence
erupted within Myanmar targeting the Rohingya. Overnight, tens of thousands fled toward
Bangladesh, where they are now precariously posted in temporary shelters on the edge
of Cox’s Bazaar, and the deforested surrounding hillsides. The lethal concoction of
rapid displacement of people, wedged into close quarters in a location not designed
for this population bulge, has created a complex humanitarian predicament.
5
,
6
Add into the dynamic seasonal monsoon rains and an acutely underfunded humanitarian
agenda, and the result is the anchoring of a humanitarian catastrophe that holds the
potential to politically destabilize the region.
7
,
8
,
9
,
10
List of abbreviations:
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References
- Dangers persist for nearly a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: WHO.(Available at:) (Accessed June 10, 2018)
- Oxfam New Zealand. Rohingya refugees: finding hope amongst the hopelessness.(Available at:) (Accessed June 10, 2018)
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- “People will die” as monsoon approaches Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.BMJ. 2018; 361: k2040
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- Dhaka Tribune. UNICEF: 55,000 Rohingya children at risk of floods, landslides during monsoon.(Available at:) (Accessed June 1, 2018)
- Refugee camps, fire disasters, and burn injuries.Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2017; 30: 214-217
- Ethnic cleansing in Myanmar: the Rohingya crisis and human rights.Lancet. 2017; 390: 1570-1573
- Reuters. UN chief warns Myanmar violence could destabilize region.(Available at:) (Accessed June 5, 2018)
- Forced displacement above 68m in 2017, new global deal on refugees critical.(Available at:) (Accessed June 19, 2018)
- Humanitarian disaster for Rohingya refugees: impending natural hazards and worsening public health crisis.Lancet Glob Health. 2018; 6: e487-e488
- Imminent health crisis among the Rohingya people of Myanmar.BMJ. 2017; 359: j5210
- Daily stressors, trauma exposure, and mental health among stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.Transcul Psychiatry. 2017; 54: 304-331
- Emergency deployment of oral cholera vaccine for the Rohingya in Bangladesh.Lancet. 2018; 391: 1877-1879
- United Nations. World report on disability.(Available at:) (Accessed July 27, 2018)
- Beneficiary story: life as a Rohingya refugee with a disability.(Available at:) (Accessed June 10, 2018)
- Disability—a neglected issue in Greece’s refugee camps.Lancet. 2017; 389: 896
- Rohingya crisis: May 24, 2018.(Available at:) (Accessed June 13, 2018)
- Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh: age and disability inclusion rapid assessment report. December 2017.(Available at:) (Accessed June 13, 2018)
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 02, 2018
Footnotes
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
