Maitree Project

Displaced after pervasive and long-term discrimination and violent conflict, almost a million Rohingya people are now living in camps across Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. Among them, women and girls comprise the majority of these Rohingya populations.

In these camps, they have continued to face ongoing violence – such as intimate partner violence, child and forced marriage, rape, trafficking, etc. by men either from the Rohingya Community or in some cases, even the host community. Prior to this crisis, Cox’s Bazar was already struggling to address unfortunate levels of poverty which was 40% higher than the national average. Given the price inflation and lower daily wages, as well as this crisis influx, this level has since estimated to have risen to 50%. Besides, the standard of security in Cox’s Bazar has always been a challenge with porous borders and illicit activity, including trafficking and smuggling of drugs and people (notably women for the sex trade, and men for forced labour). During such a time, the Government services for host communities have stretched very thin. The influx has further increased pressure and tensions on local infrastructure. While initial expressions of anger by host communities against Rohingya people appear to be localised and sporadic, the frequency of violent incidents has increased significantly where the potential for further escalation remains real. Read more about Maitree Project