Violent Repression of the Rohingya population officially recognized as genocide

In March 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken officially declared the violent persecution of the largely Muslim Rohingya population in Myanmar as genocide.

This is only the 8th instance since the Holocaust that the U.S. has declared the crime of genocide. In a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Blinken stated that this determination was due to Myanmar’s military brutal and systematic persecution of the ethnic minority, including confirmed accounts of mass atrocities on civilians.

The declaration was celebrated by human rights groups as they emphasized the necessity of the determination to be followed by concrete actions to seek justice and hold the Burmese military accountable for their crimes.

Bliken echoed this goal stating, “As we lay the foundation for future accountability, we’re also working to stop the military’s ongoing atrocities, and support the people of Burma as they strive to put the country back on the path to democracy.”

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URGENT: COVID-19 in Rohingya Refugee Camps

COVID-19 Inside the Rohingya Refugee Camps

Two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the Rohingya camps on May 15th, 2020. 1,900 Rohingya refugees are being isolated for testing. HAEFA and other aid agencies are doing everything they can to curb a massive outbreak of COVID-19 in the camps, but the conditions in the camps make this nearly impossible. ⁣

The virus is already spreading in the largest refugee camp in the world. As of May 18th, there are now six confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Rohingya refugee camps. This number may be underestimated due to lack of testing.

To add to this devastation, Super Cyclone Amphan is currently approaching Bangladesh from the Bay of Bengal. The super cyclone is due to sweep through the Cox’s Bazar region on May 20th, putting the local population and the 1+ million Rohingya refugees in a region vulnerable to landslides in serious danger. ⁣

To contribute to HAEFA’s COVID-19 response, you can donate at haefa.org/donatetohaefa. Donations support funding PPE for our healthcare workers in the Rohingya camps. Donations are matched by a Geneva-based company up to $10,000, so for every $1 you donate, $2 will go towards protecting Rohingya refugees from COVID-19!

HAEFA responses in Rohingya camps

Content written by Students for HAEFA, Phoebe Kennan and Jenna Mullen.

Training-of-Trainers Program in Collaboration with Brown University and Project Hope

HAEFA’s COVID-19 Training-of-Trainers

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown University undergraduate Jenna Mullen sourced and coordinated a 4-day COVID-19 training program for healthcare workers administered by Brown University and Project HOPE, facilitated by HAEFA. Utilizing a Training of Trainers model, 75 healthcare workers in the camps and in Dhaka from over 20 different organizations were directly trained. The next wave of training facilitated by HAEFA will prepare 3,000 healthcare workers to combat COVID-19 efficiently and protect themselves.

HAEFA partnered with Brown University's Watson Institute and Project HOPE which recently collaborated to develop a COVID-19 training program for health workers in high-risk countries. Project HOPE previously provided support to frontline workers in China, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Project HOPE was one of the few humanitarian organizations with a response team on the ground in China. HAEFA’s healthcare workforce received this training along with health workers from 20 distinct organizations. HAEFA’s physicians, MATS, midwives, lab technologists, health workers, IT, project coordinators, and the COO all participated in the training. This COVID-19 ToT training was conducted online for Ukhiya and Cox's Bazar government and non-governmental physicians, nurses and other health workers (as well as 8 Divisional Advisors, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB), National Heart Foundation (NHF), Kurmitol Hospital, and Kuwait Bangladesh Hospital).

Training taught and evaluated core competencies, including biology and transmission mechanisms; infection prevention and control; contact tracing; screening and triage; diagnosis and management; stabilization and resuscitation; health facility operations and surge capacity; and risk communication and public health messaging. The program used the Training-of-Trainers model to engage master trainers and coach new trainers.  

The ToT training was a 4-day program, including 3 hours per day, administered via Zoom. Training was conducted the week of the 19th of April starting at 6pm Bangladesh Standard Time (according to overall group preferences).

The schedule for the program was as follows:

Day 1– Monday, April 20, 2020

7am EST– Intro/ Background Module (Presented by Dr. Foggle)

8am EST– IPC (Presented by Dr. Foggle)

9am EST– Case Exercise (Presented by Dr. Foggle)

Day 2– Tuesday, April 21, 2020

7am EST– Surveillance (Presented by Dr. Karim)

8am EST– Screening/Triage (Presented by Dr. Karim)

9am EST– Case Exercise (Presented by Dr. Karim)

Day 3– Wednesday, April 22, 2020

7am EST– Stabilization/Resuscitation (Presented by Dr. Aluisio)

8am EST– Diagnosis/Management (Presented by Dr. Aluisio)

9am EST– Case Exercise (Presented by Dr. Aluisio)

Day 4– Thursday, April 23, 2020

7am EST– Surge Capacity (Presented by Dr. Aung)

8am EST– Risk Communication (Presented by Dr. Aung)

9am EST– Case Exercise (Presented by Dr. Aung)

We hope this program will exponentially increase the number of healthcare professionals are trained and prepared to deal with this crisis and reduce its impact in Bangladesh.

Population Density in Rohingya Refugee Camps

Population Density Comparisons

Rohingya refugee camps are 6 times more dense than New York City, the densest city in the US. This dramatic difference is further exacerbated by the fact that Rohingya shelters only have one floor compared to high-rises prevalent in major US cities. In Rohingya camps, on average, 6 people share a single room in a  shelter/ home. Flattening the curve in refugee camps will be ineffective due to these conditions. COVID-19 will spread through the population extremely quickly, the already limited health force will be overwhelmed and mortality rates will be extraordinarily high.⁣

⁣Please consider liking and sharing our page or donating if you can (http://haefa.org/donatetohaefa). ⁣

A Geneva based company will be matching all donations up to $10,000 so for every $1 you donate, $2 will go towards protecting Rohingya refugees from COVID-19!⁣

Graphics designed by Brown University Student, Jenna Mullen. Content written by Students for HAEFA, Jenna Mullen and Phoebe Kennan.

Vulnerability of Rohingya refugees to COVID-19

UPDATE: The first case of Coronavirus was confirmed in Cox’s Bazar, dangerously close to the refugee camps where HAEFA operates. A disastrous mass outbreak is quickly approaching the camps, with consequences for over a million vulnerable refugees living there.

Rohingya refugees have high rates of non-communicable and chronic diseases which put them at high risk for COVID-19 severe illness, hospitalization and mortality.

• In 1983, the Myanmar Citizenship Law stripped Rohingya people of their citizenship. This means that the Rohingya have been denied healthcare for nearly 40 years.

• 22.8% of the Rohingya refugee population in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps is considered “at-risk,” translating to nearly 200,000 "at-risk" people living in under 13 square kilometers.

• Underlying conditions such as respiratory infections, hypertension, diabetes, and age above 65 years increase the risk of COVID-19 severe infection, hospitalization and mortality.

HAEFA’s medical professionals have been working hard to support this population, but a COVID-19 outbreak in the camps would be devastating. We need to protect these healthcare professionals– the first responders in this crisis– with protective equipment and gear. If these workers become sick, it will have devastating consequences for the health of the Rohingya population and the containment of COVID-19.

HAEFA’s medical staff urgently need funds for gloves, masks, and protective equipment to care for the Rohingya community in Bangladesh. To support their work and help combat the spread of COVID-19 in the largest refugee camp in the world, donate today at http://haefa.org/donatetohaefa.

Graphic designed by Brown University undergraduate, Jenna Mullen. Content written by Students for HAEFA, Jenna Mullen and Phoebe Kennan.

HAEFA's response to COVID-19

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Above is HAEFA’s referral pathway for COVID-19 patients within the Rohingya refugee camps, and images from a factory in Dhaka that is preparing small scale PPE gown manufacturing for Bangladesh because worldwide production is not meeting the demands.

HAEFA’s healthcare professionals are working to reduce transmission of COVID-19 within the Rohingya Refugee camps and to screen, test, and refer patients who are symptomatic. The Rohingya camps are extremely vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19 due to overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, and poor nutrition.

HAEFA is raising money for buying PPE for the medical professionals who are taking care of the ICU/Quarantine Patients, and N95 masks for the regular medical professionals (including doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and ward boys) who are taking care of the admitted and out-patients in the hospitals, clinics, and in the Rohingya refugee (FDMN) camps in Bangladesh.

Today HAEFA has procured 500 N95 masks in Dhaka which will be distributed as follows: 300 to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, the largest hospital in the country, and 200 to HAEFA medical teams in the Rohingya camps. We have placed orders for 5000 N95 masks from Shenzhen China to be shipped from Hong Kong to Dhaka by March 31.

You can become a supporter and help HAEFA protect the medical professionals of Bangladesh– the frontline fighters to save lives during this coronavirus pandemic!

Your donation of $6 will buy 50 pairs of hand gloves, $20 can help purchase 10 N95 masks, and $25 can help purchase 1 full set of PPE (including gown, mask, cap, protective goggles, and shoe covers).

Bangladesh Development Initiative (BDI) International Conference

On March 22, 2019, our co-founder, Dr. Ruhul Abid, represented HAEFA at the Bangladesh Development Initiative (BDI) International Conference, which took place at Yale School of Management. BDI is a USA-based non-profit organization and takes a broad view of development and includes professionals from various disciplines who are involved in supporting social development initiatives in Bangladesh. The BDI 2019 conference featured critical thinkers, change makers, thought leaders, young scholars, experienced educators, eminent journalists, lawyers and human right activists, development specialists, NGO representatives, practitioners, and students. The goal of the conference was to create an inviting space for discussions on diverse issues that are relevant to the future development of Bangladesh.

This year, the conference included a plenary session on the Rohingya refugee crisis, a humanitarian disaster that has affected Bangladesh on many fronts, central to our focus at HAEFA. As part of the crisis, Bangladesh has hosted today nearly a million oppressed and desperate people from neighboring country Myanmar.

Dr. Abid was a panelist for the discussion titled, “Multiple Perspectives on the Rohinga Crisis.” During his presentation, Dr. Abid provided an overview of the two 22-member teams that have been serving in Kutupalong (Camp 1W) and Balukhali (Camp 9). Dr. Abid informed the audience that the total patients seen to date are more than 78,000 through the on-site mobile health care delivery system. He also explained the sophisticated cell phone-based m-Health and electronic medical record (EMR) software to coordinate screening test results, diagnosis, and treatment regime with HAEFA physicians. The panel concluded with a Q&A discussion. For more information about the 2019 BDI conference, please visit the BDI website

Conditions Update From Cox Bazar, Bangladesh

An Update from Dr. Noman in Bangladesh: Our workers in Cox Bazar have endured the inevitable weather of bangladesh. The storms and rain have made it extremely dangerous for various groups to travel to the camp, yet the HAEFA team has braved the treacherous hills and paths to continue their work. The main roads have all been flooded with relentless storms. As they continue to fill up water, there have been 2 car accidents in the Cox Bazar area, and the team fears their transportation is not suitable for this situation. These challenges are no match for the commitment of the HAEFA team as they refuse to halt their responsibilities. We thank them for their hard work and dedication, sending our love and prayers to Cox Bazar.

Update on Rohingya Camps

1. With your donation, support, and Zakat, HAEFA has provided free treatment and medicine to more than 31,000 patients in the Rohingya camps since October 2017. Watch this recent short-film from the Rohingya camps. Please donate online using the donate or Zakat tab, or mail check to: HAEFA, 311 Bedford St, Lexington, MA 02420. Your donation is tax-exempt as allowed by the US laws. On average, with $2.50, you can provide free treatment including medicine to one patient. $25 can treat 10 patients; $250 can treat 100 patients.

2. Better Shelter has been building two semi-durable structures for HAEFA's medical tents in Kutupalong and Balukhali Rohingya camps. We expect these structures will be completed by mid-June 2018, which will provide better environment for the HAEFA medical teams as well as covered waiting spaces for our patients.

3. The Semnani Family Foundation, USA has promised partial grant support for HAEFA's ongoing Rohingya healthcare projects for one year.

Bringing Innovative Health Solutions to Rohingya Camps

    Using a very simple paperless digital technology, HAEFA medical teams in Kutupalong and Balukhali, Ukhiya Rohingya camps have been providing medical care and medicines to around 300 patients per day since October 9, 2017. In these remote places without electricity and 3G phone lines, our dedicated members of HAEFA have been using solar panels to charge the local wifi router, laptop and handheld TABs to register patients and store their medical records. Each patient is followed up longitudinally for further treatment using their digital health-card containing a picture and a scannable unique barcode. Salute to our dedicated HAEFA medical professionals who have been serving humanity in a very harsh and unhygienic condition 6 days per week!

Rohingya Camps Update

    Prof. Dr. Jane Carter (past President of International UNION against TB and Prof. of Infectious Disease) and Dr. Ruhul Abid, President, HAEFA will be working from October 26 to November 5, 2017 with two of our 16-member medical teams that have been working in Kutupalong and Balukhali in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar since the beginning of October. They will visit all the FDMN (Rohingya) refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf regions, and meet with the people, and the organizations working there for need assessment and to develop effective treatment strategies.

Medical Team for Rohingya Camps

    We are sending a well-trained 16-member medical team of physicians and paramedics/health workers a to Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh to serve the Rohingya refugees initially for three months. We will extend the services depending on the need and continued medicine supplies. Our Medical team will work in coordination with the Control Room to set up the government and will also coordinate/collaborate with other interested organizations including CDC, IEDCR, UNFPA, UNHCR, etc for mass vaccination of the children and adults, treatment, wound dressing and emergency management, for 800,000 Rohingya refugees. 

    We are raising funds locally (in the USA, tax-exempt 501c3) and also in Bangladesh. We are also collecting medicines and other medical supplies, and a transport van to be used in the local areas to carry medical team and daily supplies of medicines/salines/etc.

    If you or your organization or someone you know would be interested to participate and/or contribute/donate to the cause, please use the DONATE tab above. You may also visit our Facebook page here.