Photo Credit: Refugees International/ Larry Thompson
03/11/2005

Hard as life is in the refugee camps, it is more difficult in this crowded informal camp of Rohingyas near the town of Teknaf. About 9,000 people, claimed by the government to be economic migrants from Myanmar rather than refugees, have been forced to live in a small area between a highway and the river. When the monsoon comes in June, life in this narrow swampy area will become nearly impossible. The Red Cross and UNICEF plan to assist the people of this community, but they should be moved to a more suitable site where a decent life is possible.