THE atrocities committed against the Rohingya in Rakhine State in Myanmar in the recent escalation of violence has caused much suffering to those there and the Rohingya diaspora, many of whom are living in protracted displacement as refugees and asylum seekers in Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia.
The decades-long persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar has led to hundreds of thousands fleeing Myanmar.
The latest wave of violence has affected the Rohingya in Malaysia, many of whom continue to receive distressing reports of relatives who have been killed, are missing or are struggling with hunger and exhaustion in their journey to safety.
Many have also lost contact with relatives and are gripped by anxiety.
Some community members have considered turning to human smugglers to help their loved ones make the journey out of Myanmar, thereby increasing the risk of them being trafficked.
For others, the feeling of relief after family members have crossed over to Bangladesh is short lived, as they face distressing reports of the lack of access to food, sanitation and shelter.
The Rohingya in Malaysia with families in Bangladesh and fleeing Myanmar to Bangladesh are having their meagre resources depleted as they spend exorbitant amounts of money to communicate with their loved ones and try to support their flight from violence back home.
Additionally, their fears, uncertainties and dilemma, and the stress of having to make difficult decisions that impact their lives here and the lives of those in Rakhine State and Bangladesh have led to a community exhausting their resources and reaching the end of their tether.
Community members report a deepening sense of helplessness, hopelessness and desperation. One community member reported that the only respite from her daily anguish is the call from her family to communicate to her of their whereabouts.
She said: “Otherwise, what is there to hope? There is no hope.”
This sense of despair and stress exacerbate the distress of a vulnerable population. The traumatic preflight and flight conditions of the Rohingya in the preceding years have resulted in acute and chronic health problems.
For others, the perilous journey has also resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health disorders.
Health Equity Initiatives is concerned about the heightened anxiety and stress of the Rohingya in Malaysia that is caused by the violence in Rakhine State.
We call on the international community to condemn the human rights violations in Myanmar and work to stop the atrocities in Myanmar.
HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVES