Refugees forced into makeshift shelters in Bangladesh

Romzima Begom, 25, grades the earth in front of her makeshift shelter in the Chakmarkul Refugee Camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Romzima, a Rohingya Muslim, arrived in the sprawling camp two months earlier. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance

With few tools and the most basic of supplies, Romzima Begom undertakes back breaking work in sweltering humid conditions to grade the ground in front of her makeshift shelter.

It may not seem like it but Romzima is one of the lucky refugees in Bangladesh. Unlike an estimated 70% of new arrivals, she has a shelter. It is constructed from bamboo and tarpaulin and sits precariously on land prone to flooding during the monsoon rains. However, it does offer some protection from the extremes of weather and a minimum of privacy in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

Our member agencies are already on the ground responding to these needs. Construction of shelters, emergency warehousing facilities and assistance with site planning is already taking place. However, the number of refugees requiring assistance is huge and increasing daily.

Your help is urgently needed to help provide safe shelter for hundreds of thousands of people, most traumatized, exhausted and hungry, and forced to start life again in an already overpopulated and poverty stricken area.