More than 146,000 people have crossed into Bangladesh in the past several days, fleeing violence in Rakhine state, Myanmar. This figure, in addition to the 75,000 people who have arrived since violence began in October 2016, represents one of the largest influxes ever of Rohingya into Bangladesh.
The streams of people arriving are destitute and extremely traumatized, and who have had no access to medical care. Many of the arrivals have serious medical needs, such as violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds, and advanced obstetric complications. Without a scale-up of humanitarian support, the potential health risks are extremely concerning.
The majority of the new arrivals are now staying in existing makeshift settlements, UNHCR-registered camps, three new makeshift camps that have emerged, or among the host community. Many refugees are stranded in a no man’s land between the border with Myanmar. Even prior to the most recent influx, many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh lived in unsafe, overcrowded and unhygienic conditions with little protection from the elements.
Hundreds of thousands of people still in Myanmar have no access to healthcare and that there are no actors currently able or allowed to respond on the ground.
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