Saving Sight for the Rohingya People in Bangladesh

The dire situation facing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people is currently one of the world’s fastest growing refugee crises. Since August 2017, more than 700,000 men, women and children have risked their lives by sea or over land in a desperate attempt to escape violence, persecution, and the destruction of their villages.

Displaced from their homes and the lives they once knew, many Rohingya people are living in abject poverty, with little or no access to basic health care services, including eye care.

Forced to flee for their lives, many have sought refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh - a country where more than 34.3 million people are already suffering from blindness or visual impairment. This influx of refugees has placed even greater strain on an already overwhelmed eye care network.

On this World Refugee Day, Obris Canada is excited to announce that we have received a matching pledge of $50,000 from OBAT Canada, a non-profit organization committed to providing aid, support, education and economic empowerment to displaced, stranded and refugee populations residing in camps in Bangladesh.

Since October 2017, OBAT Canada has been responding to the critical situation that came about after the influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh.

Together, the $100,000 that we raise will provide nearly 1,300 eye surgeries, laser treatments and other sight-saving procedures that will help ensure that no Rohingya man, woman or child loses their sight to a treatable or preventable condition.