ASSETS, LIVELIHOODS, AND HARDSHIP A sense of deep loss is imprinted on families affected by discrimination, violence, and displacement. This is compounded by the dispossession of their livelihoods, savings, and material assets. Few families have a safety net to help them contend with the difficulties of the camp environment. Family separation both exacerbates and helps mitigate hardship: though it is distressing to be apart from loved ones, having a relative abroad can mean access to remittances, a helpful supplement to aid. This section examines the economic hardships and livelihood strategies of refugee households in greater depth. It covers assets, income sources sometimes accessible to refugees within the camps, household expenses, debt, remittances, and dowries as both a cause of debt and a source of capital. LOST AND REMAINING ASSETS Only 17 percent of households still own assets in Myanmar that a relative or neighbor is looking after (figure 26). Most people had no choice but to leave behind everything they owned upon fleeing to Bangladesh. Some people interviewed described arriving at the camps with a few assets they could carry with them, especially cash, gold, and jewelry. But these ran out as families sold them to cover the shortfall between monthly earnings and expenditures. Some survey respondents were able to check on the status of their possessions in Myanmar by calling neighbors. Others had not received updates and assumed everything to be lost. The majority of people’s assets in Myanmar were tied up in agrarian livelihoods that are now lost. For Rohingya in Rakhine State, stewardship of even a small landholding was a crucial agrarian resource. Nearly nine in ten camp households were in possession of farm, grazing, or paddy lands until fleeing (figure 27). Figure 26. Remaining assets in Myanmar HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER LOOKING AFTER REMAINING ASSETS IN MYANMAR 1% don’t know 17% yes Figure 27. Assets lost due to fleeing Myanmar House 99% Chickens 96% Farm, grazing or paddy land 83% no 88% Cows 77% TYPES OF REMAINING ASSETS Goats 61% House 83% Motorbike 41% Livestock or other animals Pond or fishery 69% 34% Paddy, farm, or grazing land Gold or jewelry 68% 34% Shop Family business, shop, or fishery 31% 40% Other Have remaining assets, but no one is looking aft er them 9% 31% Boat Don’t know 15% 5% These figures include assets presumed to be permanently lost as well as those which people hope to reclaim. Many are unsure about the current standing of these items. n = 261, multiple response 27