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By Chris Melzer | November 23, 2018
Rohingya refugees Mostafa Kamal and his wife Monowara are now preparing gas bottles in their shelter at Kutupalong refugee camp. © UNHCR / Roger Arnold
SETTLEMENT OF KUTUPALONG REFUGEES, Bangladesh – Until now, forest degradation around Kutupalong was the sole source of fuel for Rohingya refugees such as Monowara and her family.
"We had to collect firewood. It took us all day, "said the mother of five about the trek of several kilometers. "It's dangerous, I was scared every time, every day."
Daily search for fuel is now less of a necessity as part of a new project launched this week by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, to provide liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to more than 200,000 refugee households and some host families in Bangladesh.
It is difficult to grasp the magnitude of the demand for firewood in the vast encampment around Kutupalong, which has more than 620,000 inhabitants: 730 tons per day, the equivalent of at least four football fields. These numbers are a problem at almost every level: environment, health, flood control, women's and children's security, and even development.
Monowara's husband, Mostafa Kamal, is not only worried about his daughters when they go for gas, but he points to another concern common to families living in bamboo and plastic huts.
"The smoke was everywhere in the shelter. Everything was dirty. But even worse, the children were coughing all the time and their eyes were burning. It was unbearable.
More than 730,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 2017, joining tens of thousands already in Bangladesh.
"It's really dangerous, especially for children."
More than 620,000 live in Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp in the world. The area is merging with other spontaneous settlements around the Cox Bazaar, which represents a total population of 900,000, more than San Francisco, Marseille or Amsterdam.
It is a giant city of bamboo and tarpaulin covered with small paths. Dreadfully muddy when it's raining, dusty when it's dry. In the evening, the air is everywhere smoky.
Many refugees tell the same story. Azizur Rahman said: "It took all day to collect firewood. And we had to pay people there or they beat us. "
Did he mean villagers or other refugees? "I do not know, but it's really dangerous, especially for children."
Worse was the smoke in the windowless shelters: "My children were constantly sick."
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Monowara, a Rohingya refugee, is delighted that she no longer has to collect firewood. "It's dangerous, I was scared every time, every day."
© UNHCR / Roger Arnold -
Mostafa Kamal and his wife Monowara collect a bottle of bottled gas. They have been using a gas stove for six months.
© UNHCR / Roger Arnold -
Monowara uses her gas stove to cook for her family. UNHCR has launched a program to
Distributing stoves and LPG liquefied petroleum gas to more than 200,000 Rohingya refugee households.© UNHCR / Roger Arnold
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Azizur Rahman collects LPG refills at a UNHCR distribution center in Kutupalong Refugee Settlement. "My children were constantly sick."
© UNHCR / Roger Arnold
Dr. Tayabur Rahman Chowdhury, who runs the Kutupalong Hospital, said the smoke was a concern.
"Of all the medical problems we have here in the camp, the problems with smoke are the most numerous."
Mickaël Edon, head of energy at UNHCR to oversee the project, discussed the energy needs of the colony with his team. They concluded that bottled gas was a safe and convenient alternative to firewood. A pilot project involving 6,000 families has been successful.
"Liquefied petroleum gas is the cheapest and easiest solution to use," says Edon. "And it's clean."
UNHCR provided gas and stoves to 6,000 households. Many homes are made in the area, which helps the local economy and creates jobs.
"More dangerous exits in the woods all day long."
At a press conference in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said: "This change will also contribute to refugee protection as most firewood collectors are women and children. who risk making long and dangerous daily journeys ".
As part of this program, refugees were receiving training on the use of LPG cylinders and ovens, adding, "In addition to helping refugees, every sixth stove and gas cylinder will be delivered to families. vulnerable Bangladeshi communities. welcome Rohingya refugees. "
Monowara, relieved, said with a smile, "My children are in good health. I am so grateful. "
Azizur agrees: "No more coughs, no more fiery eyes, no more dangerous day trips into the woods"
This means that his children can concentrate on their studies rather than taking a risky trip into the forest.
What about the safety of cyclinders? Edon's answer is unequivocal: "These bottles are absolutely safe and meet UNHCR's very high safety standards."
After the recent fire, the LPG containers were completely destroyed, he said.
