Cartoonist Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy has joined hands with the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and its partner Artolution to support Rohingya refugees through art.
Tanmoy gathered the refugee community to share their lives and capture them on a large joint mural on the island of Bhasan Char.
Through their paintings, the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals Rohingya refugees shared their needs, hardships, hopes and dreams and captured them in a collection of wall paintings.
"Imagine a group of children who have never held a brush in their life. Now imagine that they come together to paint a 170 feet long painting!''Tanmoy said.
Since October 2021, the UNHCR and humanitarian partners have been delivering essential services and critical humanitarian assistance on Bhasan Char, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Bangladesh government, setting the framework of cooperation for a response on the island.
Today, there are over 27,000 Rohingya registered on the island; 80 percent are women and children.
Immediate needs have been identified and are being addressed, including health, protection, nutrition, and water and sanitation, the UNHCR said Wednesday.
Read more: No major damage from Sitrang in Bhasan Char, Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps: OCHA
Artolution, a community-based public art education organisation, has been creating social change through collaborative art with the UNHCR in Bangladesh in 17 Rohingya camps in Coxs Bazar and with Bangladeshis living in the area.
Through art, children and families foster their cultural values, promote resilience, and capture their identity, the trauma of the past, the challenges of the present, and the hopes and aspirations for the future.