Arakan News Agency | Exclusive
The organization Power of Rohingya Youth (PRY) has helped save hundreds of lives in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, through a blood donation campaign organized by young volunteers. The initiative relies on more than 700 active donors and 30 blood coordinators to provide blood urgently for patients in emergency situations.
Mohammed Toyoub, the head of the organization, told Arakan News Agency that the primary mission of PRY is to save lives regardless of race, religion, or background, adding, “Even if we have nothing, we still have blood that can save someone’s life.”
The campaign responds to various emergencies such as childbirth complications, accidents, and surgical operations, where both refugees and sometimes local residents suffer from severe blood shortages. Young members of the organization quickly volunteer to deliver blood to hospitals and clinics, often late at night.
Despite challenges — including transportation difficulties, lack of medical equipment, and limited funding — the young volunteers continue their efforts, affirming that volunteer work can be a beacon of hope amid crises.
Blood donation does not only save lives; medically, it promotes donors’ overall health by maintaining healthy iron levels and encouraging blood cell regeneration. Socially, it strengthens ties between the Rohingya community and local citizens, serving as a symbol of solidarity and humanity.
Bangladesh currently hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camps, which the United Nations classifies as the largest refugee settlement in the world. Refugees there live in dire humanitarian conditions after fleeing Myanmar in 2017, following the “genocidal campaign” waged by the Myanmar military against them. New waves of displacement to Bangladesh have also occurred since fighting broke out in Arakan State between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Buddhist militias (the Arakan Army) in November 2023.
