Arakanese Muslims face systematic repression by the Buddhist Myanmarese state. They are fleeing their homeland to escape the oppressive policies of the military junta. According to statistics of the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, the number of Arakanese refugees is 1,820,000. The main destination for Arakanese refugees is the neighboring Bangladesh, where currently 500,000 of them live.
Arakanese Muslims are striving to survive in makeshift camps inside Bangladesh. In fact in some of the camps refugees starve to death. One of these notorious camps is Kutupalong, where 104 refugees including 52 children died from hunger several months ago.
As part of a global Ramadan aid effort, aid teams of the IHH managed to enter Kutupalong, which remains closed to entries and looks like an open air prison.
Despite hunger and squalid conditions of the camp Arakanese Muslims are practicing Islamic fasting. The IHH brought the blessing of Ramadan to camps residents. It distributed rice bags of 30 kg to 5500 families.
The distribution was funded by Kayseri Human Rights, Freedoms and Humanitarian Aid Association. Foundation’s chairperson Şaban Sözduyar and members Oğuz Memiş and Ahmet Şenaltun took part in certain Ramadan activities held inside the camp.
