Rohingya, pregnant and on the run

More than 600.000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since violence broke out in Rakhine State on August 25 - over half of them are women and children. Many of them made the harsh journey while heavily pregnant, expecting a baby soon. For some it took days, even weeks to enter Bangladesh.

for Plan International

Shakina (24) arrived at Balukhali camp one month ago. She has two children. "We wouldn't have come here if our village hadn't been attacked. Even before that, they cut off our water supply and gas pipes, broke our utensils and took away our cows. They wanted to make our life miserable so that we would leave, and we resisted as long as we could. But then they set our house on fire. I was praying when they started setting our village alight. I ran for my life in the middle of my prayer."
Meenara Begum (20) is close to her due date. She came here with her husband and two children. "Here I feel safe, we are not chased by the monks anymore."
Sajeda Begum (20) is nine months pregnant. This will be her first baby. She arrived at Balukhali camp two months ago. "Though I had to walk for two days to come to Bangladesh during the last stage of my pregnancy, it is what saved my life. It makes me happy to think that my baby will be born here, where there are no atrocities happening."
Salima Khatun (25) is eight months pregnant and arrived at the Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh in August. She has five children.
Rupiya (20) is nine months pregnant. She arrived one month ago with her husband at Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh together with their three children. She lives on this little hill, which has a steep climb to get there and gets slippery when it rains.
Somjida (25) arrived in September at Balukhali camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. She was forced to flee Myanmar while she was heavily pregnant together with her husband and three children.