Anguish

Two weeks ago, Harry and I made our way through parts of the Jamtoli camp.  In this camp there are currently over 50,000 people. It is a few kilometres down the road from a series of much larger camps. We have already shared with you the overwhelming challenges in the camp and the many attempts being made to alleviate these conditions.

As we walked, our interpreter was helpful in asking the people if they were receiving food. There seemed to be consensus that overall they are now starting to receive food every two weeks – rice, lentils, sugar, salt and oil. Not a lot of variety but overall a greatly appreciated food basket. It is amazing that this has been possible! During the last distribution of food, in one day, the coordinated response by the World Food Program has resulted in more than 114,000 families being fed. The numbers are staggering.  The latest figures indicate that 582,000 people have arrived since August 25.  That is in addition to the 212,000 who were already here prior to the August influx. But enough of the numbers.  We want to share stories about individuals.

We began asking one man named Mohammed about his food supply but he wanted to talk about something else: the trauma he had experienced in Myanmar. He shared that upon coming home from his business venture at 11 p.m. one fateful day, he saw people screaming and running from their homes. Showing us his three healing gunshot wounds, he described that soldiers were firing shots at the villagers. He witnessed eight boys being shot and killed before his eyes. From his village of three to four thousand people, half of the homes were being burnt to the ground. Tears flowed as he shared that in his neighboring village of 750 people, all were killed. He and his wife and four children escaped but his brother was “left behind” and Mohammed fears he was also killed.

As we spoke, others came forward also wanting to share their experiences. Another man, also named Mohammed, has been in the camp for 33 days. His wife was shot during the attack on his village.  She survived but her newborn baby that she was holding was killed by a bullet that was aimed at her.

A third man, name unknown, showed his bandaged shoulder and cried as he shared that he saw his neighbor’s three children being killed, cut into pieces and thrown into the river.

We asked this growing group of men gathering here if they would be willing to go back to Myanmar. One discussion in the country has been to negotiate their return with the

Myanmar government as one possibility for a solution to this massive problem.  Remember, Bangladesh is already a very crowded and poor country. As one report reflected, “imagine forcibly displacing the entire population of the country of Luxembourg in 50 days, without shelter, food or water.  Now imagine they are moved to an area less than 1% of the size of the area they fled from”.  This discussion group was adamant that their return could only be acceptable if they could be guaranteed to be treated as full residents with the same democratic rights as the rest of the population in Myanmar.  Previously they were not considered residents of the country despite living there for hundreds of years and were denied access to things such as education and freedom of movement. In any case, at this time, it would not be safe to return as, even now, thousands more Rohingya people are arriving every day to escape harm and to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

This woman’s husband was killed in Myanmar. She escaped with her six children but the boat they were fleeing in capsized and three of her children were drowned.

It becomes clear that as gradually the basic needs of food, water, shelter and sanitation are being addressed, an important component of caring for these traumatized people will be psycho-social support.  Already there are organizations gearing up to train people to provide this essential service.

Annie is home now and Harry remains in Bangladesh working with our partner to implement the proposal.  Current plans are that he will return home mid-November and others will continue with World Renew’s response.  Please pray for him in this work and continue your prayers for these devastated people as in the midst of all the despair and hardship we continue to try to alleviate suffering in whatever way we can and to provide hope.