Child journalists describe challenges Rohingya children face at refugee camps

Children born to Rohingya families in Myanmar do not get access to the basic rights human beings are entitled to at birth, a group of Bangladeshi child journalists say.

Suliman NiloySuliman Niloybdnews24.com
Published : 19 Nov 2017, 11:24 PM
Updated : 20 Nov 2017, 03:31 AM

Twenty newly appointed child journalists of bdnews24.com’s ‘Hello’ shared their findings during a visit to Rohingya camps at a discussion on Sunday at Cox's Bazar.

They witnessed first-hand the deprivation suffered by the Rohingya children during the first assignment at the Rohingya camps of Cox’s Bazar.

‘Hello’, the first Bangla website for child journalism, organised the discussion titled 'Rohingya Children Under Threat' at Royal Tulip Sea Pearl Beach Resort on Sunday ahead of the Universal Children’s Day with support from UN children’s agency UNICEF.

After a brief training by ‘Hello’ on journalism and videography on Friday, the 20 child journalists, picked up from 300 students from the institutions in Cox’s Bazar, hit the ground in Balukhali and Kutupalong refugee camps on Saturday.

At the discussion moderated by bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi, they also shared ideas about how to pull the children out of plights at the camps.

AM Sakil Faizulah represented UNICEF, the UN agency for children.

According to the child journalists, the misery of the Rohingya children started even before they were born.

It was next to impossible that children would enjoy their rights given the situation their families endured at villages in Rakhine State.

The families became poorer from decades of persecution in Myanmar, as curses like child marriage, illiteracy, and superstition grew among them.

Then they saw their family members killed and homes set on fire. They have known fear and terror. And they have endured dangerous journeys through forests and on rickety boats.

Cox’s Bazar Saikat Girls’ High School student Lamia Akter said she saw a woman who looked like a teen but has already given birth to five children.

She said Rohingya women tended to exaggerate their age apparently to avoid the stigma of child marriage.

A mother of two first claimed she was 25, but later admitted to Lamia that she was only 15.

Another child journalist, Ashikur Rahman, said he saw many of the Rohingya people defecating out in the open though there were sanitary toilets in the camps.

They told Ashikur that nothing would happen if children were defecating in the open.

He said he saw many of the Rohingyas lying in their shelters inflicted with diseases but have no complaints about treatment.

“They say they are receiving treatment, but they can’t recover from diarrhoea,” he said.

The child journalists said he spoke to a doctor at the camp who said many of the refugees were following medication, but not drinking safe water and using sanitary latrines.

“That’s why diarrhoea is refusing to leave them,” he said, quoting the doctor.    

Many, including adults, were being affected by the drains flowing very near their shelters.

Child journalist Rekha Akter said she did not notice enough measures to raise awareness among the refugees about the prevention of water-borne diseases.

“I’ve seen children eating without washing their hands after playing on the muds around the latrines,” she said.

Ibrahim Khalil, whose assignment was on sanitisation at the camps, said the latrines set up by the aid agencies were not adequate in number for the huge population.

At one place, families at 400 shelters have only eight latrines to share among them. At the tube-wells, five people have to bath at a time.

Reshmi Akter said she saw many makeshift schools at the camps, where the children got writing sheets and pens, but no books.

“It’s an allegation against the UNICEF,” Khalidi said, pointing to Sakil, who replied, “I think it’s not right. I’ve seen that children have been provided with Burmese books.”

Reshmi pointed out another problem – she saw no arrangements of education for children over 15 years of age. 

Sakil admitted that such children must get non-formal education in line with rules set up by the Bangladesh government.

“We’re doing everything for six months now, assuming that the Rohingyas will return to their homeland,” he added.

Jannatul Nayeem Zerin said she saw many of the Rohingya children could not enjoy the entertainment arranged for them at the camps as their parents fear they would go missing.

Soothing children’s trauma

At one stage of the discussion, Khalidi brought up the issue of children traumatised by horrifying scenes of the army crackdown in Myanmar.

Referring to UN accounts, he said 60 percent of the 600,000 newly arrived Rohingya refugees were children who had suffered horrific episodes in Myanmar and on their way to Bangladesh.

“How are those children who saw their parents and siblings being killed?” he asked.   

Child journalist Jannatul said the condition in the camps is far from ideal for the children to have the right mental health.

She said she did not see any arrangements of mental health treatment at children’s centres of the camps.

UNICEF spokesperson Sakil, however, said many agencies have arranged counselling for the newly arrived children.

“Because we know that these children have seen things that they were not supposed to see. That’s why a worker speaks to them whenever they arrive. The workers try to know about their experiences. The children are taught that they may have lost their childhood, but not their future,” he said.

He recounted seeing a 9-year old child who did not believe he was shot in the leg on purpose. “He thought he was shot at accidentally,” Sakil said.

The UNICEF spokesperson also said the children can do whatever they want at these centres, “Some draw pictures, some play football to get relief from the horror.”

Sakil said their first priority was to ensure safety of the children. “Because we know they have gone through horrific events.

“We have found more than 1,000 children with no family. We are also taking care of them,” he said.

Khalidi concluded the discussion by congratulating the child journalists on doing a big assignment on their first day of journalism.