By: Camp Correspondent
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – February 15, 2025
Due to severe food shortages in the Rohingya refugee camps, 24 Rohingya fishermen were arrested by the Arakan Army (AA) while fishing in the Naf River on February 13. According to local sources, 30 fishermen from Jamtoli Refugee Camp (Camp 16), Blocks D and E, departed early in the morning using four boats to fish in Myanmar’s waters. At around 6:00 AM, an AA patrol intercepted the group, arresting 24 of them and confiscating three boats. Six fishermen managed to escape back to Bangladesh aboard one boat.
One of the escaped fishermen expressed his deep concern:
“We fish in the Naf River because the food rations in the camp are not enough. We have no choice but to find a way to support our families. Now that our fellow fishermen have been arrested, their families have lost their only source of income.”
The incident has heightened fears among the refugee community already grappling with inadequate food supplies. Although the UN provides basic rations such as rice, oil, and beans, these are insufficient to meet their nutritional needs. Families desperately require additional food, fresh vegetables, and supplemental income to cover daily expenses, including their children’s education.
A family member of one arrested fisherman lamented,
“My husband went fishing because we had no food at home. Now, he has been taken away, and I don’t know what will happen to him. How will we survive without him?”
Earlier on February 11, the AA announced the detention of two Bangladeshi fishing boats with ten crew members near Makyanchang Beach in Myanmar’s waters. However, no official statement has been issued regarding the 24 Rohingya fishermen, leaving their families in deep fear and uncertainty.
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