Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis to visit Bangladesh, will take stock of refugees living in filthy camps

Bangladesh, though has given refuge to the Rohingyas who have been facing ethnic cleansing at the hands of Myanmar’s army, have not been able to give hygienic living conditions.

The camps in which Rohingya refugees have been living are at the risk of catching and spreading diseases.

The open drains of Cox Bazar’s refugee camps are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other water-borne diseases which puts the health of the inhabitants in grave danger.

Most of the huts are surrounded by garbage and dirty water. The bamboo huts, toilets, and hand pumps are shared by all.

The biggest fear is that the children who spend most of their time wandering through the open drains and filthy mud have become the carriers of diseases.

The camps which house almost 600,000 Rohingya Muslims needs to be safeguarded against the outbreak of an epidemic, said aid agencies.  

Pope Francis is scheduled for a three-day visit to Bangladesh starting from Thursday, November 30 where he will also meet members of the Rohingya Muslim refugee camps at Dhaka.

The question that arises is, will the Pope’s visit be enough to end the plight of the Rohingyas? Only time can say.