Rohingya Human Rights Initiative (ROHRIngya)
family members and also from local health centres. Only ten persons have
gone to professional psychiatrists and doctors for counselling. 26% were not
aware of mental health treatment options while suffering psychological
problems.
WASH (WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE)
• Our survey also documented the impact on water, sanitation and access to
hygiene items. During the lockdowns, refugees who buy water from the
market faced difficulties as the price increased. The quality of the water was
also questionable. The restriction on movement and shutting down shops
made it difficult for the refugees to access hygiene items.
CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
• Accessing formal education is a well-documented challenge for the Rohingya
refugees in India. Most access education through non-governmental,
academic institutions, NGOs, and community-run learning centres. During
the three phases of lockdowns, the refugee children did not have access to
education, some 78% of respondents to our survey have said. Logistical
hurdles such as lack of access to laptops or smartphones, internet connection
and electricity were the primary barrier to online education.
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
• Statistics show that domestic violence has increased during COVID-19 in
India. The situation for Rohingya refugee community in India is presumably
not better off. On the issue of domestic violence among Rohingya refugees,
57% of respondents claimed that gender-based violence against women did
not happen, while only 7.3% asserted that it has. None of the six women who
participated in the in-depth interviews reported it. Our observation suggests
at least three factors contributed to the under-reporting of GBV: (i) gender of
our survey volunteers as they are male; (ii) women generally do not have their
own mobile phones and they use family member’s phones and (iii) the
traditional customs of not speaking of a family issue to outsiders.
PROTECTION
• The hardships faced by the Rohingya increased during the pandemic due to a
rise in surveillance and detention of community members. The detention of
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