Three years since the Rohingya crisis, the coronavirus is robbing refugees of hope for a brighter future

This week marks the tragic three-year anniversary of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing persecution and violence in Myanmar into Bangladesh. Most arrived, and have stayed in, Cox’s Bazar, which now has the world’s largest refugee camp, one of 34 different camps in the district.

Three years ago, we hoped that time, and the international community, would bring progress for these people and allow them to build a fulfilling life and ultimately return safely to their homes. But 2020 has brought the new threat of Covid-19 and the little hope there was is now slipping away.

Aid agencies have warned of the potentially catastrophic impact that coronavirus could have in Cox’s Bazar district. Both refugee and host communities in the area are highly vulnerable to the deadly pandemic owing to severe overcrowding in the camps and Bangladesh’s already over-stretched healthcare system with only one doctor for every 2,000 people. In contrast, here in the UK there is one doctor for every 350 people.

Amongst the 860,000 refugees living in Cox’s Bazar, 31,500 refugees are aged 60 and over. We know from our experience here in the UK that for them, the risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19 is even greater.

Life for older refugees was challenging before the coronavirus pandemic, having had to flee their home in later life. Many are now having to cope with congested environments with insufficient water and sanitation facilities, alongside personal health conditions that are often associated with older age, such as poor mobility, failing eyesight, hearing loss or even cognitive decline.

Now, they are faced with a steady increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases and fatalities in the camps and host community, with the fear of it continuing to spread in cramped conditions.

Restrictions to limit the spread of the virus mean that many services have been scaled back to essential services only. For older refugees, this means that access to age-appropriate support has been limited. One safe haven that has been affected is the age-friendly spaces supported by UK charity Age International, where older people come to receive information and services, including free medicine, nutritional supplements, physiotherapy and psychosocial support. For many, it was a much-needed place to relax and even enjoy some games with their peers. Essential medicines are still being distributed but the social activities that are so crucial to wellbeing have, understandably, had to stop.

The impact of the pandemic on older refugees’ physical and mental health should not be underestimated with almost two-thirds of older refugees saying they feel worried or anxious "most of the time", a feeling that 71-year-old Jorina shares:

“In our tarpaulin tent there is no space to move. We somehow managed to live in our space and sleep at night. Now during coronavirus, we cannot go outside and can only sit at the doorstep. We fear the disease and what will happen to elderly people like me. What is waiting for us? I do not know.”

Despite positive efforts, conditions during Covid-19 have worsened for older people in the Rohingya refugee camps as many struggle to access sufficient drinking water, bathing or toilet facilities, things we often take for granted and which are vital for preventing the spread of the virus. Food, medicine and toilets are their main concerns, with the vast majority having to eat less food than before the crisis and more than three-quarters saying there are not enough water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

This lack of resources leaves older people, who are well aware of the importance of protecting themselves from Covid-19 by washing their hands and avoiding groups or gatherings, unable to carry out such basic advice. This is why it is so important to listen to the insight and contributions from older people rather than just dictate or prescribe solutions. To overcome Covid-19, we all need to work together and learn from one another.

Covid-19 has highlighted the plight of the Rohingya and the everyday difficulties they are facing. We have seen in the UK the importance of health care like the NHS, as well as water and sanitation facilities to prevent the spread of germs and disease, and space for social distancing. But even here we have struggled to contain the virus. It is imperative that the international community remains committed to finding a long-term solution to the situation and continues to adequately support Bangladesh and the Rohingya to ensure we are not left with a lost generation and a situation which becomes embedded in the region.

With this anniversary, we need to be mindful of those who are often forgotten or most likely to be left behind, and this is especially the case for older Rohingya refugees. While our minds stay focussed on the impact that Covid-19 is having closer to home, we must not forget the needs of those in fragile places like Cox’s Bazar and ensure that people like Jorina are not forgotten in the midst of this global crisis but instead form part of the solution.

Yasmin Qureshi is the Labour MP for Bolton South East and shadow International Development minister​.