A young Rohingya refugee carries a child while walking in a camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: CNS Although Bangladesh has welcomed a massive influx of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar, a Catholic aid official is worried that the welcome may be wearing thin.
James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, the Church’s charitable agency, said Bangladesh responded quickly to the surprise arrival of more than 600,000 Rohingya.
“As a Bangladeshi, I’m proud of my people and my government. Even though we’re densely populated, we made the quick decision to open the border and host the Rohingya. Without that solidarity, many more people would have died,” Mr Gomes said.
However he said that people in host communities are saying the presence of the Rohingya is having a negative impact. For instance day labourers are being undercut by Rohingya who work for half the price.
Caritas Bangladesh has hired dozens of local residents to aid with assessment and food distribution. Gomes said half of the temporary hires are refugees and half are from the host community. They are paid 900 takas (€9.27) a day.
The humanitarian crisis has also pushed up the local cost of living.
“Bus fares have gone from 10 to 20 takas, and at times you now have to wait a long time for a bus that has space. Similarly, even inexpensive foods like bananas have doubled in price, and that’s causing problems for local people,” Gomes said.
He added that although tensions have grown, they have not yet reached tipping point. The UN are putting pressure on the Myanmar government to begin a programme to help the displaced Rohingya return to their homes.