Ever – increasing Gang Violence in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp: Rohingya

Abstract

In Myanmar`s Rakhine State, the Rohingya minority fled to neighboring Bangladesh seeking asylum in the face of persecution by armed forces and Buddhist fundamentalists. With that, August 2017 saw the worst exodus of Rohingyas. Today, many of them live in the World`s largest Refugee Camp, Cox`s Bazar, Bangladesh. Rohingyas are already dealing with numerous crises. Increasing gang violence has further intensified their fears. This study expects to understand the root causes of the ever – increasing gang violence in the World`s largest Refugee Camp and its social impact. By July 2023 alone, 45 refugees have lost their lives due to gang violence and the camp has become a heaven for crimes such as murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and sexual bribery. Therefore, the significance of emphasizing on this case has increased. This study is based on a qualitative research methodology that uses secondary data sources which was collected from academic journals, reports, publications, and websites. The key findings of the study are that lack of education, loss of livelihood, poverty and limited mobility are the main factors leading to the ever – increasing gang violence. With Ukraine crisis, the lack of attention and reduction of foreign aid to the Rohingyas has also been a major factor. Around one million Rohingyas, and Bangladesh which sympathetically accepted them six years ago, are currently suffering from the social impact of gang violence. In conclusion, getting rid of asylum brings solutions to many problems. For that, it is possible to create a strong protection mechanism in the camp and demand a strong commitment from the international community to protect their rights.