By The Stateless Rohingya

Maungdaw: Majida Begum, a Rohingya woman in her early thirties passed away from complications of pregnancy who failed to find treatments due to the lack of money and support.

She was born in the poverty-stricken northern part of Maungdaw, Loondun Khayk Chaung village,in Kurbaan Ali’s family who every day fights to live a living for his family.

She was in the excruciating agony during her final pregnancy which failed to be monitored resulted in a number of complications after pregnancy (postnatally). She had developed many signs (swelling of hands and feet, rapid deterioration of health, fatigue, weakness) of congestive heart failure (heart fails to pump blood adequately) and ascites (fluid in abdomen) from liver failure.

The villagers and relatives who all are living in the extreme bottom of poverty line, failed to seek supports to treat her worsening conditions in the neighbouring country, Bangladesh which is a better option compared to highly restricted, medically neglected and prejudiced Myanmar’s medical sector.

Majida Begum’s destitute life even made her unable to afford a travel expense to the central Maungdaw township where AZG (Artsen Zonder Grenzen), an international NGO provides some basic healthcare services to poor Rohingya families from the township.

She passed away on Thursday at 11:00 am, January 21 leaving behind three daughters – Parmeen Ara (13),Asma Tara (8) and Janaat Ara (6) in the hands of her young brother which too lives in extreme poverty and struggles to live in daily life.

Majida’s life is a simple example of over a million strong Rohingya population in the impoverished Arakan (Rakhine) State where their fundamental basic human rights are denied in all aspects of life – religion, education, marriage, movement, livelihood, security and healthcare.