Life has been quite uncertain for Hejra, 40, who claims that “Nothing is left except for life”. In another addition to the miseries of Rohingya refugees, despair enveloped the Rohingya camp in Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar as a massive fire that broke out at around 3 am on Sunday, 15 April, wiped out most of their livelihood.
Close to 230 refugees became homeless in the tragedy, the source of which has not yet been determined.
This photo essay is a record of the incident that unfolded on Sunday morning, leaving many homeless:
Children’s cries rent the air, and all that could be seen were heaps of ashes and burnt memories.
Rohingyas, described as the world’s most persecuted minority by the United Nations (UN), are a Muslim minority who came from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, but are not recognized as their citizens. Instead, they are often derided as immigrants.
Driven out of their homes, these refugees now face homelessness yet again. The major challenge for these refugees, however, would be to re-obtain their United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards issued to them at the point of settling in India – the only valid proof of identity they have left.
The Rohingyas are being provided help by Islamic Organisation Jamat-e-Islami.
“There is an urgent need for tents, especially for women and children”, said Rukshana, a member of Jamaat-e-Islami.
(Akrati Bhatia is a freelance journalist and a documentary filmmaker based in New Delhi. She is currently in the final year of her Masters in Convergent Journalism at Jamia Millia Islamia, AJK MCRC, New Delhi. Her work can be viewed here: http://akratibhatia.com/)
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