Along the fringes of Pekanbaru, a bustling city in Sumatra, Indonesia, a makeshift refugee camp has become a precarious home for approximately 600 Rohingya. These individuals have escaped a history of persecution in Myanmar, enduring the harsh reality of overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh before embarking on a perilous sea journey.
After months of surviving in difficult conditions along the shores of Aceh, many of these stranded refugees undertook a long and arduous journey to Pekanbaru, clinging to the hope of resettlement in a third country. However, their current reality is one of extreme hardship. The camp, a testament to their resilience and desperation, offers little in the way of basic human necessities.
Sanitation is a major concern, with inadequate facilities leading to unhygienic conditions. Clean water is a scarce commodity, posing a constant threat of waterborne diseases. Their shelters, cobbled together from whatever materials they can find, are woefully insufficient to withstand the severe tropical climate, offering little protection from torrential rains and sweltering heat. As a result, child diseases are rampant, a heartbreaking consequence of their dire living conditions. This camp is a stark reminder of the global refugee crisis, a place where hope is a fragile commodity and survival is a daily struggle.
Months after a perilous boat journey, a Rohingya refugee finds a fragile home in a makeshift camp in Sumatra. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
This camp, sheltering approximately 600 Rohingya people from Myanmar, illustrates the harsh reality after a perilous sea journey: a struggle for survival against inadequate clean water, sanitation, and the ever-present danger of disease. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
After enduring treacherous sea voyages, 600 Rohingya refugees find little respite in a camp plagued by insufficient clean water and sanitation, making it a breeding ground for disease. Pekanbaru, Sumatra, May 2025
A young Rohingya girl endures the harsh realities of a squalid refugee camp in Sumatra, Indonesia, May 2025
Etched with quiet strength, a Rohingya refugee's journey continues in a makeshift camp, months after a treacherous boat journey. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
Months after a perilous boat journey, a Rohingya refugee finds a fragile home in a makeshift camp in Sumatra. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
This camp, sheltering approximately 600 Rohingya people from Myanmar, illustrates the harsh reality after a perilous sea journey: a struggle for survival against inadequate clean water, sanitation, and the ever-present danger of disease. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
A young Rohingya child endures the harsh realities of a squalid refugee camp in Sumatra, Indonesia, May 2025
This camp, sheltering approximately 600 Rohingya people from Myanmar, illustrates the harsh reality after a perilous sea journey: a struggle for survival against inadequate clean water, sanitation, and the ever-present danger of disease. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
Washed ashore in Sumatra, a Rohingya child refugee begins a new chapter after a harrowing journey by boat. Pekanbaru, Indonesia, May 2025
