Korean Seon (Zen) master and committed Buddhist venerable Pomnyun Sunim, founder and president of the international humanitarian organization Join Together Society (JTS), led a team of volunteers to Bangladesh on December 2 to deliver 6,36 million bars of soap to a refugee camp that is home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled persecution and violence in neighboring Myanmar.
This latest donation follows the earlier success of the JTS relief project, when in September 2022 and January 2019, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim led relief workers to deliver gas stoves to refugees in Cox's Bazar, a district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh.*
After arriving in Bangladesh, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim attended a meeting at the UNHCR office in Cox's Bazar to receive an overview of the current situation in the refugee camp: "About one million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar. Of these, 97 per cent reside in Cox's Bazar camp, while the remaining 3 per cent live on Bhasan Char Island. The main reason for moving to Bhasan Char Island is the safer security environment," explained the UNHCR Senior Operations Coordinator.
“Over the past two years, the security situation in the camp has deteriorated significantly. Conflicts between various criminal organizations within the camp have doubled the crime rate, seriously compromising security.
“Due to budget cuts by the World Food Programme, monthly food aid per person was reduced from $12 to $8 last year. Although the aid amount was reduced to $12,50 at the beginning of this year, the reduction has had a serious impact on the nutritional status of the camp. For example, the malnutrition rate in 2023 was 15,1 percent, exceeding the 15 percent threshold.
“Most of the camp’s housing consists of temporary structures made of bamboo and tarpaulins. The Bangladesh government maintains a policy that all refugees must return to Myanmar and therefore does not allow for long-term sustainable housing improvement measures. (Jungto Society)
The head of operations at UNHCR's Cox's Bazar camp, who oversees support activities for Rohingya refugees, noted that living conditions in the camp have improved significantly since JTS provided a total of 200 gas stoves to camp residents.
“Thanks to the gas stoves provided by JTS, the refugee camp has become a green zone,” she noted. “In the past, refugees burned wood for fuel, devastating the environment around the camp, but since JTS provided gas stoves, they no longer cut down trees. We are focusing on planting trees and making the camp greener.”
She then observed that they were looking at long-term solutions to other problems, including education and support for self-reliance, as well as other issues faced by refugees.
“The Rohingya refugee problem is unlikely to be resolved in the short term,” she added. “Even though returning to Myanmar would be the best solution, both the international community and the Government of Bangladesh see little prospect in the short term. It is therefore important to look for long-term solutions so that the refugees are not continually dependent on humanitarian assistance. Over the past two years, UNHCR has focused on vocational education, skills training and income-generating activities. We are looking at ways for refugees with professions such as carpenters and plumbers to work directly and become self-reliant within the camp. Through the experience of COVID-19, we have realised that the hygiene problems in the camp are serious. Especially in the southern camp, water shortage is severe during the dry season. Addressing hygiene and water issues is a very important task for the health and survival of the refugees.” That's why the soap provided by JTS this time will be of great help. (Jungto Company)
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS volunteers then went to the Camp 4 area within the refugee camp, where the Camp 4 manager expressed his gratitude to Sunim: “We are grateful for the continued support of JTS. The soap you provided this time will be distributed to all refugees living in 16 camps under UNHCR’s jurisdiction. Thank you very much.” (Jungto Society)
In the Camp 4 warehouse, two million bars of soap had already arrived for distribution to refugees: one million bars of laundry soap and one million bars of personal soap. JTS plans to provide 6,36 million bars of soap in three shipments of 2,12 million, which will be distributed to people living in 16 camps under UNHCR's jurisdiction.
One bar of personal soap and one bar of laundry soap were distributed per person, calculated according to the size of the family. Antibacterial soap was prepared as many refugees suffer from skin diseases. Women were also provided with hygiene kits.
“We have started distributing the soap provided by JTS to the refugees from today,” the UNHCR team said. “In a situation where humanitarian support is dwindling, the sponsorship of JTS and Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has not only provided material support but also given great resonance to remind the international community not to forget the Rohingya refugee issue.” (Jungto Society)
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim led a small ceremony for the delivery of the soap while the UNHCR spokesperson expressed his gratitude to JTS. “This soap is not just a hygiene item. It provides the minimum conditions for a dignified human life, thanks to JTS.”
JTS Korea was established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in 1993 as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one’s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates program offices in South Korea, Germany, and the United States, as well as field offices in India and the Philippines. The humanitarian organization has also been granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Tasked with bringing hope, empowerment and self-reliance to underprivileged communities in developing countries, JTS is run and managed by unpaid volunteers, who ensure that all donations benefit the marginalized communities with whom the organization works. JTS carries out relief operations in countries suffering humanitarian disasters, with the aim of “solving the problems of poverty and pain in Asia through the efforts of the Asian people,” and has already carried out humanitarian projects in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, North Korea, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
In October 2017, JTS Korea provided 15 tons of rice and 700 mosquito nets to Rohingya camps in Bangladesh. In January 2018, they provided an additional 30 tons of rice and 2 blankets. It was during these visits that WFP, the UN agency overseeing the relief camps, first proposed that JTS Korea also provide gas stoves.*
The combined donations of 200 gas stoves facilitated by JTS in Cox’s Bazar in 000 and 2019 mean that nearly one million lives have directly benefited. This project has helped reduce malnutrition, allowed the local environment to recover, and reduced the workload and dangers to the lives of women and children who would otherwise have had to collect firewood and who are now at a much reduced risk of violence and sexual assault. The stoves also allow Rohingya families to cook their meals safely inside their homes, significantly improving their conditions and quality of life.*
Religious tensions between Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslim minority in neighboring Myanmar have simmered for nearly half a century. The Myanmar government considers Rohingya Muslims to be stateless foreign migrants, even though many communities have lived in Myanmar for generations. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled military clearance operations and attacks by Buddhist mobs in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, seeking refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, in what the United Nations has described as “the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis” involving “the world’s most persecuted people.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, the leading Dharma teacher of the Jungto Society, is a highly respected author and social activist. He has founded numerous organizations, initiatives, and projects around the world. In October 2020, the Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan presented the 37th Niwano Peace Prize to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in recognition of the revered monk’s international humanitarian work, environmental and social activism, and tireless efforts to build trust and goodwill among communities of different faiths and cultures, toward the goal of world peace.**
* Engaged Buddhism: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and JTS Volunteers Bring 100 Gas Stoves to Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh (BDG), UPDATED: JTS Korea Buddhist Aid Transforms Lives of Rohingya Refugees (BDG), Buddhist Relief Organization JTS Korea Sends PPE to Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Amid COVID Fears (BDG), and Korean Buddhist Relief Organization JTS Brings 000 Gas Stoves to Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh (BDG)
** Buddhist monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
See more
Pomnyun
Jungto Company
JTS Korea
JTS America
May this soap help improve the difficult conditions in the refugee camp (Jungto Society)
Related news reports from BDG
Special Report on Engaged Buddhism: Jungto Society Organizes INEB Study Tour in South Korea for Women Monastics and Social Activists
Engaged Buddhism: INEB Young Bodhisattvas Program for Young Leaders Kicks Off in Taiwan
Engaged Buddhism: INEB to host 21st Biennial Conference “Buddhist Heritage: Towards Inclusive Societies” in Chennai
Engaged Buddhism: INEB's SENS Transformative Learning Program is accepting applications for the 2025 academic year
Engaged Buddhism: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim inaugurates water pipelines in rural Bhutan
Engaged Buddhism Update: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Returns to Türkiye to Inaugurate Post-Earthquake School Project
Special Report on Engaged Buddhism: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explores sustainable development at three-day workshop in Bhutan
The article Engaged Buddhism: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and JTS Volunteers Deliver 6 Million Bars of Soap to Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh appeared first on Buddhadoor Global.
Français
Français
English