Welcome to the Refugee Support Express

This week: 

Breaking in Bangladesh

This week, the Bangladesh team were busy carrying out a location survey of children with conflict injuries; identifying many children struggling with various disabilities, and horrific injuries caused by land mines and bullets. Many of the children are suffering from malnutrition – their injuries and disabilities preventing them from leaving their shelters. We will refer these children to the medical teams for further care, and continue to supply them with extra nutrition and toys to aid their mental and physical recovery.

There is growing anxiety amongst a number of NGO’s for the welfare of local (‘host’) communities in Bangladesh, such as Cox Bazaar. The Bangladesh host communities have welcomed the Rohingya. However, as a natural result of such an influx in population (700,000 refugees having fled to Cox Bazaar alone), local communities are feeling the strain on their economies.  

The price of food has vastly increased in Cox Bazaar; with essentials such as rice doubling in price. Many water wells at Tumbru camp have been depleted, and sinking deeper wells to gain access to water requires money that many don’t have. The wages of the local labour force have been halved; as many refugees try to earn some money to help them survive the inclining price of basic living.  

It’s a worrying and vicious cycle that is taking its toll on both locals and refugees. Three of the most basic needs – food, water and income – are under threat for all at Cox Bazaar. We need your support and donations to help us aid those seeking refuge at Cox Bazaar, and in turn, to help restabilise the economic climate of the local community.  

Please stand with us today in this humanitarian crisis. Your donation – no matter how small – will make a huge difference. 

Keeping up with Katisikas

It has been nearly a month since Katsikas finally welcomed its first residents – and the camp has already welcomed many young, and happily, smiley faces to its shelter.

The population of Katsikas camp now stands at 340.  38% of these are under the age of 16. 15% are under than age of 5, and we have 14 residents who have not even reached their first birthday yet. With so many little ones on camp, it is important to ensure that we stock and distribute enough diapers / nappies so that families can use their resources for other essentials.

In order to support the local community, we always try to source locally; purchasing all diapers / nappies from fantastic local suppliers, Eva and Gary Oikonomou. These essentials are expensive to purchase in comparison but thanks to the funding of our good friends, Carry The Future, we are able to supply these necessities to all those who need them.

A beautiful rainbow was spotted on camp this week. The sun is shining on Katsikas, and we hope that everyone there finds the end of their rainbow.

There is nothing that aid with cooperation cannot achieve, as our volunteers, partners and donors, prove. Will you volunteer or donate to refugees today?

 Standing with Refugees Podcast

If the refugee crisis of the last few years been a test of how the world’s leaders deal with humanitarian crises, then we’ve failed.

For this week’s podcast, Paul spoke to Jack Steadman, head of community development at Help Refugees: our great friend and supporter.

In 2015, Jack volunteered in Calais as a central figure at the heart of a huge shelter building project. Unfortunately, when the eviction began right before the completion of the project, the 4,000 shelters that Jack and his team had erected were bulldozed and burnt down. In this podcast, Jack discusses his time in Calais; sharing his frustration at the French and UK government’s system of evicting refugees and their tragic lack of urgency processing and accepting applications seeking asylum.

And their ears must have been burning, because during the podcast, Jack received the fantastic news that the UK government had agreed to accept more unaccompanied children. Speeding up the processing of asylum applications will have the biggest reduction on suffering, and thanks to unrelenting public pressure and help from Help Refugees, this is hopefully a step in the right direction.

Make sure that you’re on the right side of history.

Subscribe today to our weekly podcasts today so that you never miss one.

A mile in my shoes

Grab your walking shoes and water bottles, because we’re going for a walk! We invite you to join us for a challenging fundraiser to raise awareness for the plight of refugees.

Following in the footsteps of the thousands of refugees who fled through the Macedonia mountains before the southern Greek border was closed in 2016, this is your chance to walk a mile in the shoes of another.

To find out more about the event, beginning on 29 April, visit this page and get in touch.

We hope to see you on the mountains.

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.

Refugee Support