The more than a million Rohingyas living in 34 camps in Ukhia and Teknaf are living comfortably with facilities from donor agencies and the government. Though the locals do not get water from the tube wells regularly, the Rohingyas get bottled water and the children get high protein food.
Top officials at administration say that due to these privileges, Rohingyas are unwilling to go back even though they have spent two years at the camps.
Foreign minister, AK Abdul Momen, said with indignation: “Their level of comfort has to be reduced a bit.”
Camp officials say that at the children are also given soya-protein biscuits, other milk based products and Cerelac. Women suffering from malnutrition are getting high protein food.
Many Rohingyas are selling the excess aid materials they are getting.
Senior secretary of the ministry of disaster management and relief, Shah Kamal, observes: “At this moment, WHO is giving 30 kg rice, 9 kg of lentils and 3 litres of edible oil to a three member family; for families with four to seven members, the rice allotment is 60 kg, lentils 18 kg, edible oil 6 kg while families with more than eight members get 120 kg of rice, 27 kg of lentils and 12 litres of edible oil.
So far, the government gave 500 tonnes of rice with a lot of relief items given by the state and the people preserved at 14 warehouses of the Cox’s Bazaar district administration.
Though several hundred tube-wells were placed by the government, the Rohingyas use the water for bathing, washing clothes and utensils. They drink mineral water supplied by NGOs and donor agencies.
They sell the excess bottled water, said the senior secretary.
The food boxes supplied by NGOs also contain fruit juice. Medical officer of Cox’s Bazaar General Hospital, Dr. Afsar Uddin, says: “At the order of the government, women suffering from malnutrition are being given rice, lentils, fish, meat, fruits and other high protein food.”
During Eid ul Azha, the government gave 3,500 cows to the camps which they slaughtered and distributed the meat among themselves. Cox’s Bazaar’s former DC, Ali Hossain, said: “The locals of Ukhia and Teknaf cannot imagine the sort of food the Rohingyas are given; soya-protein biscuits can only be afforded by the wealthy in the country but for children at the camps, this is regular food.”
Chattogram divisional commissioner, Abdul Mannan, says: “The utensils used by Rohingys are also expensive; since they are getting more than their needs, the prospect of return in not an appealing one.”
Former UP chairman, Md Shahid Ullah, observes: “Rohingyas stay here in the comfort of a newly married groom; they get the best food and do not have to work to get it. No one will want to leave such a privilege.”
Many of the relief items for the Rohingyas are now available at the open markets of Chattogram, he added.