“Humanitarian Crisis Looms as Cyclone Mocha Wreaks Havoc on Myanmar’s Rohingya”

Cyclone Mocha Devastates Myanmar’s Rohingya ‘Apartheid’ Camps

Cyclone Mocha hit Myanmar‘s Rakhine State with winds of 250 kilometers per hour, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. The United Nations reported that tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims remain trapped and exposed without food, shelter, and medical care following the cyclone.

Background

The Rakhine State, where the cyclone hit, has a significant Rohingya Muslim population, people whom Myanmar authorities have exploited and oppressed. More than ten years since they were first confined to camps, the Rohingya people have had no access to essentials like healthcare, education, and proper shelter. In this arbitrary confinement, the camps in Rakhine State have gained a reputation for squalid living conditions and poor hygiene practices that lead to various health issues and a rising death rate. The refugees’ suffering is compounding, as they may have no shelter or food since the tropical cyclone’s landfall. In this context, the Rohingya population is clashing with numerous problems, ranging from human rights violations to natural disasters.

The Loss of Life and Property Damage

Reports on the extent of the cyclone’s damage are still coming in; however, preliminary reports from the region show that the destructive effect of the tropical cyclone was massive. It completely shattered Rakhine state’s capital, Sittwe, which is the location of various Rohingya camps. Reports from the authorities reveal that nearly all houses in the area were destroyed, which had an impact on tens of thousands of people. The United Nations officials, aware that the Rohingya were already battling significant challenges, ascertained that the cyclone has arrived at a time when they are still recuperating from the Covid-19 pandemic’s effects.

Foreseeable and Avoidable Damage

Historically, Myanmar authorities have oppressed Rohingya Muslims, denying them their rights and freedoms over many years. In 2012, the authorities created the camps ostensibly to house people displaced by communal violence. But, this was nothing more than a regime of apartheid and persecution. The Rohingya were forcefully confined to longhouses made of bamboo, which were optimal for only two years. However, with the aid agencies requesting more resources to make the plight of these refugees safer and better, the Myanmar authorities consistently denied them. This led to an increase in the Rohingya suffering, mainly from the growing death rate and yearly natural disasters.

Relief and Responses

The immediate problem is the lack of relief to the affected Rohingya Muslim camps. Sadly, Myanmar‘s military junta is hindering aid groups’ entry into areas affected by the natural disaster. Bureaucratic constraints and government blockages mean lifesaving aid delivery has a hurdle to cross. In the days ahead, with many Rohingya Muslims searching for loved ones and clearing debris, many foreign governments are demanding the Myanmar authorities’ blockade of relief efforts to end. The same governments are also charting a path to accountability, pushing to hold Myanmar‘s military responsible for the Rohingya Muslims’ oppression.

Conclusion

The current situation for the millions of Rohingya Muslims living in camps in Rakhine State, Myanmar, is terrible. Exposed and trapped by Cyclone Mocha, the Rohingya population’s suffering is being compounded. The camps have become an apartheid regime of sorts, an inhuman situation where a people group is being oppressed by the state that should protect them. The international community needs to act fast and deliver the much-needed aid and relief to the Rohingya refugees, and the Myanmar government must be held accountable for these atrocities.

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