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Teknaf, Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees from the unregistered camp of Lada are facing problems as the Bangladeshi authorities are not allowing them to go to work in Teknaf and other places since July 25, a community health worker from Lada refugee camp, called Meah said.
The refugees from the camp are unable to go to the forest to collect fire wood as the neighbouring villagers always attempt to steal from the refugees, he added.
The Bangladesh Riffles (BDR) from Lada outpost has restricted the refugees, who used to work for their survival, since July 25, telling them that they were getting all kinds of facilities from NGOs and there was no need to go to work, said Kamal, who works at the Landport.
“If the Bangladesh Riffles have imposed restrictions of not leaving the camp for work, how shall we survive with our families?” enquired Kamal.
The Lada refugee camp is run by a NGO called Islamic Relief from United Kingdom (UK) with the help of the European Union (EU). The refugees are getting every facility from this project like sheds, medical treatment and sanitation. However, they work for their survival in Teknaf and other places where they have jobs, said Meah.
The Muslim Aid (UK) another NGO supports the refugees, by giving them loans for investment to earn their livelihood (rickshaws, small vender shops in camps, among others) according to Aminah, a widow from the camp, who owns a vender shop.
The camp is situated near local villages and forests, where the refugees always go to collect fire wood for cooking and selling. But, the local villagers always attempt to rob the refugees, who bring fire wood from the forest, Abdul Karim, a refugee who sells fire wood for survival, said.
“We have been facing trouble from local villagers, as the local people come to our camp and attack us with lethal weapons and injure us,” a member of the Refugee Committee from the camp said.
Currently, around 12,000 refugees, live in the Lada camp. Refugees, who found it very difficult to survive otherwise, were brought to this camp, which was established in 2007. Earlier, it was located as a make-shift camp on the Dum Dum Meah road side and Naf River bank.
