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Lack of toilets, water pumps complicating Rohingya crisis

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Dhaka, Oct 30 (IANS) The lack of toilets and well-maintained manual water pumps have complicated the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, according to a UN report.

The report released on Sunday said that 30 per cent of the 4,370 manual pumps installed are in poor condition and 36 per cent of the 24,773 latrines were about to overflow in southeastern Bangladesh where some 750,000 Rohingya refugees are currently residing after fleeing violence in Myanmar, reports Efe news.

“There is continuous new influx of refugees resulting in increase in population at multiple sites which is overloading existing WASH facilities (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) due to heavy use,” the Inter Sector Coordination Group said in the report.

According to the UN, the number of Rohingya refugees who have fled the armed conflict in Myanmar to Bangladesh since Aug 25 has risen to 607,000 – 2,000 more than the data collected on Friday – 561,000 of which took refuge in camps and another 46,000 in host communities.

The new influx of Rohingya refugees brought the number of the Muslim minority ethnic group that sought refuge in Bangladesh to about 819,000.

The goal of WASH services is to reach out to 750,000 refugees that live with poor water sanitation and hygiene, although the UN admitted that their humanitarian services have reached only 530,000, adding that the situation is worrisome due to overpopulation, poor infrastructure and shallow aquifers.

Abu Naim Md Shafiullah Talukder of the WASH Department of the UN Inter Sector Coordination Group told Efe news that the manual water pumps work poorly due to excessive use.

Regarding the latrines, Talukder said that it is normal that they are about to overflow since many people are using them, but warned that this could force the refugees to defecate in open air, deteriorating the overall hygienic conditions in the camps.

The conflict in Myanmar began when a Rohingya insurgent group carried out a coordinated attack on various police and military posts, sparking a violent response from the Myanmar military.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has labelled the military campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority group in Myanmar as ethnic cleansing.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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