The Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's camps endure profound dispossession and trauma. Forced to flee Myanmar amid horrific violence, they live in overcrowded camps, grappling with inadequate resources and bleak futures. Stateless and stripped of their rights, they face limited access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods. Many are haunted by memories of ethnic cleansing, witnessing massacres, and losing loved ones. The scars of persecution, compounded by precarious living conditions, deepen their suffering. Despite international aid, hope remains fragile as repatriation prospects are uncertain, and global attention wanes. Their resilience, however, speaks volumes, as they strive to preserve dignity amidst despair.
A typical makeshift shelter where several families would find refuge. The shelters are extremely vulnerable during monsoon and cyclone season. Balukhali camp for Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya children in one of the un-registered camps of Southern Bangladesh near the border with Myanmar, June 2015
New part of Kutupalong refugee camp hosting more than 50,000 out of the 100,000 Rohingya refugees that have reached Bangladesh since October 2016 and the unfolding ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the Myanmar security forces. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Ruzina, 13 years old from Maungdaw was raped by Myanmar military forces. She fled with her mother and brother to Bangladesh four months ago, her father was killed when their village was attacked and burnt down by Myanmar security forces. Countless rape allegations have been consistently reported during the past months, an accusation the Myanmar authorities deny. Mass rape is often used during ethnic cleansing campaigns, both acts consitute crimes against humanity and war crimes when carried out by military personnel. Shamlapur refugee camp, Bangladesh, May 2017
Unregistered Rohingya refugees, East Nayapara camp, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2016
New makeshift construction for the new wave of Rohingya refugees arriving In Bangladesh. Nearly 100,000 persecuted refugees have arrived from Maungdaw township in Myanmar since October 2016. New extension of Kutupalong refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, February 2017
Rohingya boy digging silt in the river to solidify the makeshift shelters of the camp. Dohazari settlement for Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, Chittagong, Bangladesh, May 2017
Seventy year old Monuyara with her grandchild arrived from Buthidaung township one month ago. The child's father was killed when the village was burned down by the Myanmar security forces two months ago. They are sharing a shelter with another family. Kutupalong camp for Rohingya refugees, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya refugees from northern Myanmar that have arrived beginning 2017 in Bangladesh after having been victims of persecution and ethnic cleansing campaigns orchastrated by the Burmese military. Dohazari Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
New part of Kutupalong refugee camp hosting more than 50,000 out of the 100,000 Rohingya refugees that have reached Bangladesh since October 2016 and the unfolding ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the Myanmar security forces. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Leda rohingya refugee camp has an accute shortage in water and has only few hours per day fresh water. Already insufficient for the usual camp population, the situation has become extremely critical since the new influx of refugees this winter. Leda camp for Rohingya refugees, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya refugee living in a makeshift refugee camp along the Sangu River near Chittagong, Dohazari, Bangladesh, May 2017
A Rohingya girl at new makeshift camps for the newly arrived Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. More than 650,000 refugees have fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar since August 2017. Kutupalong refugee camp, Ukhiya, Bangladesh, November 2017
A happy moment when a goat is giving birth. Few Rohingya can afford to own livestock and are usually very dependent on food aid. Dohazari camp for Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, Dohazari Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya teenager working at the fishing drying plants of Najirar Tak in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya refugee, Balukhali camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
A Rohingya woman and her mother, she gave birth to twins while escapting from Myanmar through the jungle. Her husband has been killed during the military security operations ongoing since October in northern Rakhine near the border with Bangladesh. Human rights groups have classified the security sweeps as ethnic cleansing campaigns. Balukhali camp for newly arrived refugees, Bangladesh, May 2017
Leda refugee camp hosting mainly Rohingya refugees that fled Myanmar during 2008 and 2012 security sweeps and persecution. Now this already overcrowded camp is also receiving newly arrived refugees escapting the ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign. Leda camp, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
New arrivals at Kutupalong refugee camp and victim of a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign orchestrated by the Myanmar military forces against the muslim Rohingya community of Myanmar. Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, May 2017
New part of Kutupalong refugee camp hosting more than 50,000 out of the 100,000 Rohingya refugees that have reached Bangladesh since October 2016 and the unfolding ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the Myanmar security forces. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Grandfather and granddaughter, one lost a father, the other a son, killed by the Myanmar army while their village in Maungdaw township was attacked and burnt down. They arrived two months ago with the remaining family in Shamlapur near Teknaf in Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya children attending the medresa or coranic scholl which is the only form of quasi education available. Being stateless, un-registered and not officially recognised as refugees, they cannot attend formal education structures. Balukhali camp for Rohingya refugees that recently fled the ethnic cleansing camaigns against them in Myanmar. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya refugee recently arrived in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution and brutal ethnic cleansing campaigns orchestrated by the Myanmar security forces against the muslim Rohingya community. Bulakhali refugee camp, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya woman recently arrived in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution and brutal ethnic cleansing campaigns orchestrated by the Myanmar security forces against the muslim Rohingya community. Bulakhali refugee camp, Bangladesh, May 2017
Building a shelter for 3 families that arrived five days ago at Kutupalong refugee camp and victim of a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign orchestrated by the Myanmar military forces against the muslim Rohingya community of Myanmar. Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, May 2017
Imam, 35 years old, a farmer from Buthidaung township in Myanmar. Was used by the army as slave labour. managed to escape with his family to Bangladesh one month ago. Balukhali camp for Rohingya refugees near Cox's Bazar, May 2017
Building a shelter at Kutupalong refugee camp and victims of a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign orchestrated by the Myanmar military forces against the muslim Rohingya community of Myanmar. Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, May 2017
Fatima came 6 days ago with her father from Maungdaw accross the border in Myanmar. Her father says she is 15 years old and was brutally assaulted by the military. Another six members of their family have dissapeared or been killed. Shamlapur refugee camp, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
A Rohingya girl collecting tree needles that will be used as fire wood, Najirar Tak neighbourhood in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, May 2017
Nura Shah is 50 years old and a Rohingya refugee from Maungdaw in Myanmar. Two of her sons and husband were arrested by the military 5 months ago and are in Buthidaung jail. She fled to Bangladesh with her 15 year old son. Kutupalong camp for Rohingya refugees in Southern Bangladesh along the Myanmar border, May 2017
Leda rohingya refugee camp has an accute shortage in water and has only few hours per day fresh water. Already insufficient for the usual camp population, the situation has become extremely critical since the new influx of refugees this winter. Leda camp for Rohingya refugees, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya boy that recently arrived from Myanmar where brutal ethnic cleansing campaigns are being carried out against the Rohingya minority. Kutupalong camp extension, Cox's Bazar, November 2017
Nurkolima, 18 years, and her son. Her husband was arrested and she presumes he was killed. Her mother is still in Myanmar because they didnt have enough money to pay their passage to Bangladesh. She was raped and tortured, 15 days ago, when the Myanmar army came to their village to search for valuables. She arrived 5 days ago in Shamlapur and paid 70US$ to cross the border with her sister and their 3 children. Countless rape allegations have been consistently reported during the past months, an accusation the Myanmar authorities deny. Mass rape is often used during ethnic cleansing camoaigns, both acts consitute crimes against humanity and war crimes when carried out by military personnel. Shamlapur refugee camp, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya kids playing football near their camp along the beach in Shamlapur, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya woman walking her goat, Cox's Bazar, bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya boy, refugee from Myanmar. Shamlapur camp for un-registered Rohingya refugees, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
Rohingya children in a moment of joy eating mango. Shamlapur refugee camp, Teknaf, Bangladesh, May 2017
A Rohingya family that arrived few days earlier building their makeshift shelter with donated materials. The huge influx of refugees during the past months has put an enourmeous strain on the local environment and economy resulting in substantial deforestation, price hikes and tensions with local communities. Lambashiya section of Kutupalong refugee camp, Ukhiya, Bangladesh, November 2017
Rehana Begum (25 years) with her mother (40 years) and grandmother (60 years) from Rathedaung in Myanmar. She has 3 sons, the youngest being 1 month old only. She fled to Bangladesh with her mother, grandmother and children nearly 3 months ago. She was gang raped by the Myanmar military for 5 days while she was pregnant. Her husband was killed, decapitated and burnt in front of them when the village was attacked and entirely burnt down in August 2017. Lambashiya section of Kutupalong camp in Ukhiya, Bangladesh, November 2017
