findings iV: impact of movement restrictions
Current camp conditions do not support good health, and many respondents believe that the oppressive
conditions are a fundamental cause of both physical disease and mental distress for the Rohingya living
there.94 This effect is intensified by restrictions on movement, as they prevent Rohingya from accessing
food, proper hygiene, education, employment, safety, and quality healthcare–all of which are necessary
to support good health. A majority of survey respondents (83 percent) reported that restrictions on
movement created significant challenges in accessing healthcare, and 82.5 percent reported that restrictions on movement make them significantly more at-risk to diseases and their consequences.
Moreover, the burden of mental disorder is substantial as many Rohingya have experienced extreme levels of trauma in Myanmar, and feel deeply distressed over current
conditions in the camps. This distress is further exacerbated by the current restrictions
on movement; 94 percent of survey respondents reported that restrictions on movement caused significant negative impacts related to how they felt emotionally.
“We had no diseases while we were living in the open places in Myanmar,” said Amin, a Rohingya man living in
the camps. “After coming here, because there is no freedom in the camp, skin diseases, mental illness, and various
other diseases are occurring because of the difficult living conditions and the fact that most people live together in
a small area. I don’t think these kinds of diseases will happen if we have freedom of movement. I think it’s because
of the poor conditions that people here are suffering from such diseases. Every day we have worries, sorrows, and
thoughts. I think that due to all of these, we are getting weak, weakness of brain and disability of body.’’ 95
Respondents reported that healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult to access because of
restrictive camp policies and a patient population that is far bigger than camp clinic capacities.
94
95
Fundamental causes of disease is a public health concept stating that, unless the underlying cause of a health disparity, such as racism or
socioeconomic status, or as in this case, severe human rights violations, is addressed, the disparity will not be remediated by any intervention targeting another part of the causal pathway. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Social Conditions as Fundamental Causes of
Disease. 1995.
Interview C16M
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