Living in crammed camps, Rohingyas vulnerable to coronavirus

The refugees hailing from Myanmar came to India in 2012. Pic/AFP

Rohingya refugees packed in camps in Hyderabad appear vulnerable to Coronavirus. Though no COVID-19 positive case has been reported so far among the refugees, the fact that many families are living in wretched conditions puts them at risk.

About 6,000 refugees in Hyderabad are facing the worst crisis since they arrived here eight years ago. Around 20 camps of refugees are spread over Balapur, Shaheen Nagar, Barkas, Hafiz Baba Nagar, Kishan Bagh and Jalpally.

Like other economically weaker sections of the society, the lockdown has hit them hard. However, what makes the condition of the refugees worse is the fact that many families at the camps are staying in 10x10 feet plastic shacks close to each other.

The refugees, who earn their livelihood by working as rag-pickers, construction labourers or by selling vegetables and other items, have remained confined to their homes.

Like other slum dwellers, social distancing is impracticable for them. "What will be the social distancing for families living in 10x10 or 10x15 [square feet] huts?" asked Mazhar Hussain, director of the Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), an NGO distributing ration among refugees.

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