
Despite their fatigue, they remained upbeat and were all smiles.
Very early, we headed for the south of the country, where more than 600,000 people have found refuge in makeshift shelters along a narrow strip of land between the Bay of Bengal and the Naf River, which forms a natural border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The chaotic streets remind me of India and Pakistan. It’s a jungle of horns, reckless drivers, bamboo carriers, tricycles, rickshaws, cows, chickens, children playing and vendors selling trinkets. It smells of spices, dried fish, chewing tobacco, burning garbage, diesel, humidity and the city’s open sewers. For several kilometres, we see thousands of small bamboo shelters with simple plastic tarps for roofs.

The refugees depend almost entirely on humanitarian aid to meet their needs. In the middle of the line at the distribution centre, a child about who is about five years old is naked, crying, and doesn’t seem to be accompanied by an adult. Many families were separated as they fled; children find themselves alone or become the head of the family when their parents are sick. We sometimes see them carrying bricks and bamboo to build shelters.
I had the opportunity to speak with a Red Cross volunteer who was organizing activities for children. She confided that she had rarely seen children who were so scared and withdrawn. Some of them had never even used pencil crayons.

The outpouring of international solidarity and the results are plainly visible on the ground.
As citizens, we can stay informed to ensure that this crisis is not forgotten and support the Red Cross by donating to the Myanmar Refugee Appeal.
Jean-Baptiste Lacombe
Rapid Response Manager, Emergency Response Team
Stay tuned for more on Jean-Baptiste’s mission.