Rohingyas are shown near Teknaf, Bangladesh, having just arrived after crossing over from Myanmar. By 6 September over 164,000 Rohingyas had arrived in Bangladesh, fleeing widespread violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

This figure, coming on top of 75,000 people who have arrived since violence began in October 2016, represents one of the largest influxes ever of Rohingyas into Bangladesh. The majority of the new arrivals are now staying in existing makeshift settlements or UNHCR-registered camps, in three new makeshift camps that have emerged, or among the host community. Many refugees are stranded in no-man’s land between the border with Myanmar. Even prior to the most recent influx, many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh lived in unsafe, overcrowded and unhygienic conditions with little protection from the elements.

“We’ve not had something on this scale here in many years,” says Pavlo Kolovos, MSF head of mission in Bangladesh. “Our teams are seeing streams of people arriving destitute and extremely traumatized, and who have had no access to medical care. Many of the arrivals have serious medical needs, such as violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds, and advanced obstetric complications. Without a scale-up of humanitarian support, the potential health risks are extremely concerning.”