Nur Kaida: “Never let your circumstances define you“ – a pregnancy in the biggest refugee camp in the world

In 2017 more than 700,000 Rohingya had to flee Myanmar, Nur Kaida and her family among them. After her arrival in Cox’s Bazar in southern Bangladesh, Nur Kaida found out that she was pregnant with her first child. In the chaos of the formation of the refugee camp Kutupalong, that was shortly to become the largest in the world, she had a risky pregnancy living in hazardous conditions without health support, guidance by a midwife, proper sanitation – and still almost without contact to her husband. Luckily at least her parents were still by her side and her mother helped her get through the pregnancy. Nur Kaida gave birth to her first son, Muhammad Kawsar, at a camp hospital in 2018, through a surgical procedure. However, just seven days after the birth, complications arose as an infection developed at the surgery wound. This necessitated an additional ten-day hospital stay. Her husband visited only intermittently, which added to the family's uncertainties.

Life in camp was a great challenge for Nur Kaida, especially with a newborn. The access to food, healthcare and sanitation was particularly bad in the first months of the formation of the camps in Cox’s Bazar, her financial situation was precarious. Almost no women in the camps can move around freely or work for a living, making it hard for them to earn money to support their families.

When Nur Kaida discovered that she was pregnant again, it came as a shock to her. She did not know how to provide for two children, worried that the child might inherit her disability and was overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty. To cope, she began to reduce her own intake of food. It was fortunate that a Community Health Worker from our partner organization Gonoshasthaya (GK) Kendra visited Nur Kaida's home in this situation. Together, GK and Malteser International run three health centers in the camp and the Community Health Worker encouraged Nur Kaida to visit one of them. There, a dedicated midwife took Nur Kaida's medical history, referred her to the laboratory for a pregnancy confirmation test, and conducted various examinations. The midwife also supplied crucial counseling, prescribed essential medications and recommended Antenatal Care visits at the health center. The midwife’s compassion and the prospect of adequate healthcare during this pregnancy gave Nur Kaida new hope. She went to four antenatal cares and received ongoing support throughout her pregnancy. Eventually she gave birth to a healthy baby boy in Hope hospital – this time, without complications.