Hunger is scarier than coronavirus in Rohingya refugee camps

Even a few years ago, the Rohingyas people had a tidy life. However, the brutal and cruel violence, which was committed against them in the Rakhine state of Myanmar on August 25, 2017, shattered their dream, snatched their citizenship, forced them to flee their home to many parts of the world where they have to live a miserable life as refugees. Most of those, who were lucky to survive the genocide and ethnic cleansing, have taken refuge in Bangladesh. In Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazila in southeastern Cox's Bazar District of the country, more than 1.2 million Rohingyas live in the world's largest refugee camp.  A number of the refugees were recently shifted to the Bashan Char, a remote Bay of Bengal island in the Noakhali district where there are facilities to accommodate 100,000 refugees out of million Rohingya refugees who fled waves of violent persecution in their native country. The coronavirus pandemic has indeed made the life of Rohingyas more miserable in the camps since last year. According to the Cox's Bazar District Civil Surgeon's Office, as of March of this year, only 432 Rohingyas have been infected with COVID-19, and 10 of them died. At present, there are only 26 people in isolation.Many government and non-government organizations are working door to door in the camps to raise awareness among the refugees and urge them to take precautionary measures to stay safe from the coronavirus. UNHCR says COVID-19 caused the greatest disruption of education in history, threatening to destroy the dreams of millions of children, especially refugees.  In Bangladesh, 52% of Rohingya refugees are children.The Rohingyas refugees have expressed that for them, the hunger is more frightening than the coronavirus, and they are more concerned with finding some food to feed their families than anything else. Food ShortageWhen Lokman, a Rohingya in Bangladesh, was asked about his life in Myanmar, he said, “There was certainly no food shortage for us“There are nine members in my family, with no sons. As My husband is very old, he is not able to earn a living for us. We only wait for the relief aid. We lost all our savings and belongings when we fled Rakhine, Myanmar.” said Zulekha, a 55-year-old Rohingya woman.