A lack of funding for Bhasan Char, a refugee camp located on an island in the Bay of Bengal, has left refugees with limited basic humanitarian aid. Rohingya refugees are a community of Muslims that initially occupied Rakhine, a state in Myanmar (Burma). Elaine Chan, who was published in Britannica, stated that Rohingya refugees were considered to be one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, as recorded by the UN. Rohingya minorities only make up one third of the population in Myanmar, with Buddhists making up the majority. 

Many of these refugees were relocated to Bhasan Char from Bangladesh after the July 2021 monsoon rains devastated the Cox’s Bazar communities. Over the next couple of years, government officials plan to relocate 100,000 refugees to the island to reduce the density of the mainland camps in Cox’s Bazar. Approximately 24,000 refugees have been moved to the island. The government has attempted to convince Rohingya people to move to the island with promises of greater food supply and aid; however, this is not the case. 

Rohingya people are often shunned as their Buddhist counterparts do not acknowledge Rohingya citizenship; thus, they are stateless. Myanmar constitutes these individuals as Bengalis, defined as illegal immigrants who came over from Bangladesh. In the 2014 Myanmar census, government officials decided not to count self-identified Rohingya individuals. Since 2012, further legislative restrictions have been issued. 

Intercommunal violence between the Buddhist and Rohingya communities has caused many Rohingya people to flee their homes. An estimated 745,000 Rohingya — including more than 400,000 children — have been displaced since the beginning of the conflict.

In 2017, at least 55 villages in Myanmar were completely bulldozed. Many of these villages were damaged by arson, killing several thousand people. According to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs, families were killed, and women were gang-raped. The attack is hypothesized to be retaliation from Myanmar officials after Rohingya militants attacked police outposts. 

According to UNICEF, refugee children of Rohingya descent face a greater chance of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and inadequate educational opportunities. These children are more likely to be at significant risk of neglect, exploitation, and violence through child marriage and labor. Moving these individuals to the island has not helped the well-being of Rohingya people, as there is an inadequate storm and flood protection plan. Similarly, food shortages, unreliable water sources, lack of schools and health care, and severe restrictions on freedom leave villagers feeling like they are imprisoned in the middle of the sea, as reported by the Human Rights Watch. The Bhasan Char is not safe for settlement, as it is three to five hours from the mainland by boat and has limited capacity to evacuate if a natural disaster occurs. 

Previously, the Bangladesh government promised the United Nations that Bangladesh government officials would not relocate refugees to the island until independent humanitarian groups had assessed the emergency preparedness, habitability, and safety. However, this promise was not upheld. 

During a UN visit in May 2021, thousands of refugees gathered to confide in UN officials about the beatings given by security forces when attempting to flee or discuss inadequate treatment with the UN. Additionally, medical supplies are limited as transportation to the mainland is impossible due to the government’s fear of refugees escaping. As reported by The New Humanitarian, foreign donors are unsure about handling funding for Bhasan Char. The United States, the largest donor to the Rohingya response, says financing “does not currently support Bhasan Char.” 

Perhaps to aid this situation, further funding and tighter regulations regarding living conditions on Bhasan Char need to be imposed by the UN. Women, children, men, and vulnerable elders are struggling to survive in the harsh elements of the island. Nations must place the utmost importance on ensuring safety for Rohingya refugees.