Photos: Rohingya refugees remain in limbo three years after the exodus

Three years ago, on August 25, 2017, Myanmar security forces launched a campaign of violence  targeting members of the Rohingya ethnic minority group. These “clearance operations” ultimately drove some 700,000 people from Rakhine state over the border into Bangladesh. These refugees joined some 200,000 others who had fled previous waves of violence.

Three years on, there is little hope of positive change for the Rohingya, or for the possibility to return home in a safe and dignified manner anytime soon. People continue to live in overcrowded, flimsy shelters made of plastic and bamboo. Their lives remain on hold. >> Read more. 

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh three years after their exodus

Abu Siddik sits with his five-year-old son, Rashid Ullah, who received treatment for some wounds at MSF’s hospital in Kutupalong.

Bangladesh 2020 © Hasnat Sohan/MSF

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh three years after their exodus

Sualeha Mohamed Ayubiu, 25, fled Myanmar in 2017. She is pictured here next to her 10-day-old son. “My biggest worry is for my child. I want him to have a future,” she says.

Bangladesh 2020 © Hasnat Sohan/MSF

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh three years after their exodus

A baby is examined by MSF staff. “Many Rohingya refugees are not accustomed to a normal health system, as they were not able to go to hospitals in Myanmar,” says Ferdyoli Porcel, MSF pediatrician. “Some patients arrive late when they are already seriously ill ....and [it] is complicated for us to repair that situation.”

Bangladesh 2020 © Hasnat Sohan/MSF

“One of the issues is stigma and fear about COVID-19,” says Dr. Tarikul Islam, MSF’s medical team leader at the Balukhali hospital.

Bangladesh 2020 © Hasnat Sohan/MSF

“I was afraid because there is a belief in our community that if you have COVID-19 you will die,” says Jobaida, 25, who tested positive for COVID-19 just days after she gave birth to her son, Mohammed Ibrahim.

Bangladesh 2020 © Hasnat Sohan/MSF