Hardship and loneliness in Cox’s Bazar

She fled burning villages and armed soldiers in Myanmar. But in a refugee camp hundreds of miles away, Mumtaz would face a second heartbreak, one that left her more isolated than ever. 

Mumtaz Begum thought the worst was behind her when she escaped the violence that tore through her community. Soldiers stormed her village. Homes were torched. Families scattered. Alongside more than 700,000 other Rohingya people, she fled with nothing but her children and the will to survive. 

Across rivers and into the unknown 

The journey to safety was long and perilous. Families crossed rivers and walked for days through harsh terrain, often without enough food or rest. Some were injured. Others didn’t survive. When Mumtaz finally reached Bangladesh, she believed the danger was over. But life in the settlement brought new hardships. 

In the sprawling camps of Cox’s Bazar, Mumtaz faced daily struggles. The overcrowded settlement, a sea of bamboo and tarpaulin shelters, offered little safety, privacy, or security. Clean water was scarce. Floods and fires were a constant threat. Rohingya people are not allowed to work legally, and like many women, Mumtaz was vulnerable to exploitation and violence. 

Then came the second blow. 

A new struggle 

Her husband abandoned her for another woman, leaving Mumtaz alone with five young children and no way to provide for them. The emotional toll was crushing. Every day felt like a battle: to find food, to protect her children, and to keep going when everything felt hopeless. 

With nowhere else to turn, Mumtaz went to the Barefoot Counsellor community centre, where she finally found help. These volunteers, trained by our local partners, are Rohingya women themselves. They offer guidance, support, and a listening ear to others facing trauma and hardship. 

Through counseling, Mumtaz began to recover. Slowly, she regained her confidence and found ways to manage her mental health. Her life began to stabilise. Her children noticed the change. 

Today, she is no longer defined by what she’s lost. With renewed hope, she’s building a better future for herself, her family, and her community. 

But many more women like Mumtaz are still facing hardship alone. Together, we can turn survival into strength and crisis into community-led recovery. 

When disaster strikes, whether through conflict or climate, your gift helps women like Mumtaz recover, heal, and lead others. Help families survive, recover, and rebuild.