Kaladan News

Dated: Tuesday, May 10, 2005

 


Government Allows NGOs to Help the Undocumented Refugees

 

Teknaf, May 10: At the first time, Bangladesh government allows NGOs to help undocumented refugees of Dumdumia camp under Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar District.

 

The Dumdumia refugee camp is 6-kilometer off Teknaf, a border town of Bangladesh and the NGO of “Integrated Humanitarian Approach (IHA)” provided the refugees a bag (50kg) of rice and a plastic for roofing of their huts in the rainy season, on 7th May 2005, said Salim, a refugee leader of the camp.

 

It has over 8,500 refugees of 1,100 families. At first, it was established at the road-side of Teknaf upazila in 2003. Later, on October 2004, it was shifted to a place near a BDR camp of Dumdumia as to avoid the trouble of local people. Besides, the refugees who went outside the camp for works to maintain their families always dishearten about their family members who remain in the camp because of nearby villagers’ disturbance, he further added.

 

When asked a member of the (IHA), Shafi Ullah said, “To get permission from government, we have to try very hard. Government isn’t willing to give permission to any NGOs as it fears that will encourage to new comers to join the present existing refugees and also be created a new influx of refugees.  That’s why; the government earlier did not allow any NGOs to help such refugees. The undocumented refugees never get outside helps and they managed themselves their survival by doing works outside of the camp, such as--- laborers, rickshaw pullers, fishermen and woodcutters--- and etc.

 

When asked Abdul Khalek, a refugee leader said “This is the first time that we get aids from outside. If the government allows, we will get more aids from other NGOs and organizations.”

 

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