A Facebook Fundraiser for Rohingya Mothers and Children

A Rohingya woman and her child walk towards Hope Field Hospital For Women in Madhuchara camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. (Photo by Rajib Dhar for Direct Relief)

Mass violence in Myanmar has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people to flee their homes with only what they could carry, seeking refuge in what’s become the largest refugee camp in the world.

While striving to secure shelter and sustenance, their already precarious situation is compounded by threats of extreme weather, including monsoonal rains and cyclones that pound Bangladesh every year.

What’s more, medical care for the Rohingya is extremely limited, with few places for women and children to receive medical treatment.

Though the Rohingya are fighting back against these overwhelming odds, parents need health facilities to receive their children when they are sick and soon-to-be mothers need regular care and potential life-saving treatment when giving birth.

That’s why Direct Relief is raising support for the Hope Foundation, a local health organization providing critical care to the Rohingya.

When Rohingya communities began fleeing into Bangladesh, Hope Foundation was already providing free health care at its established maternity hospital on the outskirts of Cox’s Bazar, more than an hour’s drive from the nearest refugee camp.

Seeing the urgent medical needs among the newly arrived refugees, Hope Foundation rapidly scaled up its operation, establishing maternal health clinics across the camp as well as a field hospital.

Hope foundation is continuing to provide basic care and maternal health services across its healthcare facilities, but funds are urgently needed to complete construction on the field hospital, purchase medical equipment, and maintain and expand services to Rohingya families in Bangladesh.

It’s important to note that several international groups are providing health services to the Rohingya community and doing a great job; however, donations to the Hope Foundation support a local solution and will help ensure access to health care for Rohingya and Bangladeshi long into the future.

Over the next several weeks, Direct Relief will match every donation made to Hope Hospital on Facebook, up to $100,000.

The goal of hosting the fundraiser on Facebook is to leverage Direct Relief’s initial commitment into additional support for Hope Hospital.

Facebook has waived all processing fees for fundraisers hosted on the platform, meaning Hope Hospital will receive 100 percent of the donations made to the fundraiser.

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