Life in the 66 odd relief camps all over Bangladesh is painful and miserable, to say the least. No words are adequate enough to describe the agony and distress of these quarter million stranded Pakistanis, who have been robbed of their lives and future, for no fault of theirs. The shadows of humiliation, loss of respect, dignity and self-esteem that are writ large on their humble faces are beyond imagination or description. Let us make an attempt to present a picture on the life in these camps - a wretched and cursed life with no access to resources, services and amenities such as water, sanitation, health care, education, and employment.

Houses – They cannot be called houses by even the wildest stretch of imagination. The relief camps are made up of a set of makeshift huts and torn tents, usually measuring 8 x10 feet in dimension. The huts have thatched roofs while the tents can be a structural combination of bamboo, plastic, cloth, wood and tin. People are forced into a cramped and crowded existence as each of these so-called ‘houses’ normally has at least 10 inmates on average.

Food – Lack of proper diet and diseases due to malnutrition have been accepted as a part of life by these hapless souls. A typical lunch for a family would be a loaf of bread, tomatoes and water. World Bank provides 3kg (6.5 lb) of wheat per adult on a monthly face. Believe it or not, even that has been disrupted for the past 5 months.

Jobs – Almost all of them are jobless, despite a large majority of the adult population being highly skilled or semi-skilled tradesmen. Societal discrimination and violation of basic rights make their future even drearier. It is the rule of absolute poverty that runs in these camps.

Education - Children are completely illiterate with no schools, teachers or avenues for vocational training. Life is made even terrible by diseases and deaths due to malnutrition.

Health Care – Hospitals are non-existent with women, children and the aged bearing the major brunt of inadequate healthcare facilities. Chronic infections and gastro-intestinal diseases are the order of the day.

Women and Children – They are the most affected by this life of illiteracy, poverty, and pathetic living conditions. Women and children can easily prove to be the soft targets of all kinds of exploitations by the mean and unscrupulous elements of the society. We need to be on guard and keep vigil to safeguard and guide these innocent lives.

 Sanitation, Hygiene and Drainage – Sanitary facilities and hygiene are strange commodities too. In most camps the residents either defecate in the open or – in the few locations where they exist – use community latrines that are dirty, uncared-for, overflowing and often unusable. There are no proper sewage systems either. The camps flood even during moderate rainfalls. Bathrooms that offer enough privacy do not exist. Women have to brave the public eye or wait till late in the night to have a bath.

Don’t you think it is high time that we woke up from our slumber, shed our lackadaisical attitudes and make a meaningful contribution as GOD would want us to?

Yes. TOGETHER, we can make the difference!

For further information, contact us at info@obathelpers.org

Camp Life – Photo Album

Join us on a photo tour to have a first hand feel of the camp life!

·         Daily Life

·         Housing and Sanitation

·         Women and Children

·         Saidpur Fire Tragedy & OBAT Relief