Welcome to the Refugee Support Express

This week:

Breaking in Bangladesh

Shocking statistics shared this week by UNICEF highlight how the humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh is still critical. Around 58% of the 646,000 refugees who have fled since 25 August are children, and with thousands of refugees continuing to escape from the horrific persecutions in Myanmar, the need for aid in local camps is dire.

Last month, we began the enormous task of introducing our aid with dignity model in Bangladesh; identifying Tumbru Camp – a purgatory for 6,318 residents who have escaped from Myanmar by just 200 metres – as somewhere in greatest need of aid.

We are desperate to continue supporting this Rohingya community trapped in no man’s land. While we carried out our first successful food distribution to the residents of the camp last week, there is an incredible amount that still needs to be done; most pressingly, nutritional and medical (see UNICEF report for more details).

This is a huge, collective challenge that neither us nor any other charity can carry out without your help. Your donations are invaluable, and are already helping us to aid those suffering under one of the cruelest humanitarian crises of our times.

We urge you to support our Christmas appeal by donating as much as you can today. We cannot be bystanders, so let’s stand by one another.

You can make your UK donation here today. If you are outside of the UK, please make your donation here.

Keeping Up With Katsikas

Katsikas Camp will be operational from Monday 18 December, and our volunteers have been working around the clock to ensure that the camp is ready to give a warm welcome to its incoming residents.

Our volunteers have worked all weekend to prepare the women’s boutique and children’s clothes shop; and their hard work certainly won’t be wasted, as we are predicting 150 arrivals each day next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Travelling from the Islands, we hope that the camp will restore some sense of solace and safety to the refugees’ lives, as we prepare to offer the aid with dignity and co-operation that the 500 new residents deserve.

With such a large influx of people over a such a small space of time, however, we urgently need some extra volunteers, so we can service everyone’s needs.

This video will give you an idea of what volunteering is like:

If you would like to spend your Christmas contributing to an amazing cause and working as part of an incredible community, please get in touch today.

#AidWithDignity Podcasts

‘It’s very rare that humanitarian crisis is driven by natural causes. Mankind usually has some role to play.’

And if mankind caused this crisis, mankind can also cure it together.

For this weeks’ podcast, Paul spoke to Vickie Hawkins, the executive director of Medecins sans Frontieres UK (MSF). Like us, MSF is fighting to provide critical support in Bangladesh.

In a fascinating conversation about ethics, values and the importance of humanity as the most powerful force for good and change, Paul and Vickie discuss the difficulty of making huge decisions with finite resources, and the pressure of prioritizing aid when so much is needed.

Tune in to hear more, and subscribe today to our weekly podcasts so that you never miss one.

Winter Warmth

As snow falls and temperatures drop around Europe, it’s important to keep warm.

The weather in Bangladesh is now very cold, and with 2,274 children under the age of 12 and 1,146 under the age of five, we are asking you to share your warmth this Christmas by purchasing a warm coat or jumper to one of our young refugees.

For the cost of a just a fiver, we can purchase a thick coat or jumper to keep a little one warm during these chilling times. For a very reasonable price, we can also purchase a coat and jumper set that’ll help keep little hands and toes toasty over the cold season.

Simply go to our Donate Page today and type “Warm Clothes” in the comment box, and your donation will provide a child with some warm clothes this winter.

UK Donors may be eligible for Gift Aid, which will increase your donation by 25%.

Donors from outside of the UK can also help keep a little one warm by donating here.

Here’s a few warms items that you, our kind donors, have purchased so far:

Thank you for reading, and we’ll see you next time.

Please contact us today at info@refugeesupporteu.com if you are interested in volunteering, making a donation, or just want to get in touch.

 Thank you from everybody at Refugee Support for your help so far.

RS