Rohingyas Are Suffering 'On A Catastrophic Scale.' Here's How To Help.

A Rohingya refugee boy desperate for aid cries as he climbs on a truck distributing aid for a local NGO near the Balukali refugee camp on Sept. 20 in Bangladesh. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)
A Rohingya refugee boy desperate for aid cries as he climbs on a truck distributing aid for a local NGO near the Balukali refugee camp on Sept. 20 in Bangladesh. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)

Hundreds of thousands of desperate Rohingyas have fled their homes in Myanmar to escape what the United Nations describes as a “textbook example” of ethnic cleansing.

“When one-third of the Rohingya population had to flee the country, can you find a better word to describe it?” asked an incredulous Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the U.N.

That was in September. Today, two months after Burmese authorities unleashed a horrific crackdown against the persecuted Muslim minority group, the number of refugees has already swelled beyond 600,000 ― well over half of Myanmar’s ailing Rohingya population.

Thousands more remain stranded in the country’s Rakhine State, engulfed by a crisis that continues to cause suffering “on a catastrophic scale,” the U.N. warns. Humanitarian groups have gathered evidence of abhorrent state-sponsored atrocities including rape, torture, shootings and arson. According to Amnesty International, many of these targeted assaults amount to crimes against humanity.

The sheer magnitude of the Rohingyas’ harrowing plight may leave you feeling helpless, but there are ways you can make a difference.

A Rohingya refugee woman is helped from a boat as she arrives exhausted on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing her village in Myanmar. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)
A Rohingya refugee woman is helped from a boat as she arrives exhausted on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing her village in Myanmar. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)

Get informed

The first step is simple, but crucial: Take the time to learn about what is happening to Rohingyas every day in Rakhine State and beyond. The details are disturbing, but ignorance only adds to the problem.

Myanmar’s government continues to restrict humanitarian organizations and investigatory missions from accessing crisis-torn Rakhine, making it difficult to gather direct information. But a number of groups are using satellite data to document the destruction of Rohingya villages, and gathering witness testimonies in neighboring Bangladesh, which now hosts more Rohingyas than Myanmar. Take a look at some of the resources below:

👉🏻 For the most up-to-date information, including the growing number of refugees, access the latest ReliefWeb situation reports.

👉🏻 Learn about the Rohingya exodus by the numbers.

👉🏻 Read more about the state’s campaign of systemic abuse in Amnesty’s report, “My World is Finished.”

👉🏻 Doctors Without Borders is working to treat Rohingya arrivals in Bangladesh. Read doctors’ and patients’ heartbreaking stories.

👉🏻 Learn how the crisis is disproportionately affecting children in UNICEF’s report, “Outcast and Desperate.”

👉🏻 Read about the international aid response and multimillion-dollar funding gap.

👉🏻 Follow HuffPost’s continued coverage of the crisis here.

Rohingya refugees carry their belongings as they walk through water on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing their village in Myanmar. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)
Rohingya refugees carry their belongings as they walk through water on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing their village in Myanmar. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)

Demand action and accountability

Call up your local representatives and demand justice for Rohingyas. You can ask them to exert their influence to seek change and accountability from Myanmar’s government, or to keep Bangladeshi borders open as refugees continue to arrive. If you’re in the United States, find a list of senators’ contact information here.

The International Campaign for the Rohingya is lobbying Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the U.S. government to “use its influence, including its key position on the United Nations Security Council, to end the attacks by the Burmese army against Rohingya communities.” Add your name to the petition here.

In the United Kingdom, Parliament will consider petitions with more than 100,000 signatures for debate. You can find, sign and create proposals related to the Rohingya crisis here.

Protesting can also be an effective way to draw attention to an issue. Check your local community calendars and social media pages to see if there are any upcoming demonstrations, or if you’re in the U.S., start your own here.

Rohingya refugees desperate for aid crowd as a local NGO ditributes food near the Baluki refugee camp in Bangladesh. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)
Rohingya refugees desperate for aid crowd as a local NGO ditributes food near the Baluki refugee camp in Bangladesh. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)

Support the Durbin-McCain resolution

A valuable way to make your voice heard is by urging Congress to support a bipartisan resolution put forward by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

The bill condemns forced displacement and violence against Rohingyas, demands an immediate end to hostilities by Burmese authorities and calls on the government to allow unrestricted access to humanitarian groups in Rakhine.

It also calls on Myanmar’s de facto leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, to break her conspicuous silence and inaction on the unfolding tragedy.

Read more about the resolution here.

Send a pre-written message advocating the bill’s passage directly to your member of Congress by filling out this form from Amnesty here.

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A Rohingya refugee boy is carried in a basket by a relative on Sept. 24 after crossing the border on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River while fleeing Myanmar. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)
A Rohingya refugee boy is carried in a basket by a relative on Sept. 24 after crossing the border on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River while fleeing Myanmar. (Photo: Kevin Frayer via Getty Images)

Volunteer, fundraise & donate

No matter where you live, there are opportunities to get involved in some capacity or another ― whether it’s organizing a fundraiser, distributing fliers or collecting neighborhood donations while trick-or-treating this Halloween.

Organizations like Muslim Hands, a U.K.-based charity, will provide Rohingya volunteers with resources such as collection buckets, penny boxes, T-shirts and items for hosting charity dinners. Sign up here.

There are many humanitarian groups doing diligent work to help crisis-afflicted Rohingyas, and they need your support. Charity Navigator is a nonprofit website that evaluates charitable groups based on accountability, transparency and financial performance. Check out its refugee-focused charity ratings here.

“Rohingya families are arriving to the camps with nothing except the clothes on their backs,” UNICEF spokesperson Joe English told HuffPost. “Even when they reach the relative safety of Bangladesh, their situation remains all too precarious.”

Small contributions can go a long way, English noted: “A donation of $30 can provide a malnourished child with therapeutic food for a month, or help support ‘child-friendly spaces’ providing children affected with a safe place to play, learn and begin to rebuild their lives.”

If possible, consider donating to any of the nonprofit organizations whose Rohingya campaigns are linked below:

International Campaign for the Rohingya

UNHCR

Amnesty International

Doctors Without Borders

Save the Children

UNICEF

Islamic Relief USA

OXFAM

United Nations crisis relief campaign

Also on HuffPost

An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesd, on Sept. 11, 2017.
An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesd, on Sept. 11, 2017.
Rohingya Muslim refugees disembark from a boat on the Bangladeshi side of Naf river in Teknaf on Sept. 13, 2017.
Rohingya Muslim refugees disembark from a boat on the Bangladeshi side of Naf river in Teknaf on Sept. 13, 2017.
Recently arrived Rohingya refugees wait to receive aid donations on Sept. 13, 2017, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Recently arrived Rohingya refugees wait to receive aid donations on Sept. 13, 2017, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Exhausted Rohingya refugees rest on the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, on Sept. 10, 2017.
Exhausted Rohingya refugees rest on the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, on Sept. 10, 2017.
Rohingya refugees reach out their hands to grab aid packages in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 17, 2017.
Rohingya refugees reach out their hands to grab aid packages in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 17, 2017.
Rokeya Begum, 23, holds her 4-day-old twins born in a makeshift tent on Sept. 17, 2017, in Kutupalong, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Rokeya Begum, 23, holds her 4-day-old twins born in a makeshift tent on Sept. 17, 2017, in Kutupalong, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Rohingyas are seen after arriving by boat on Sept. 14, 2017, in Shah Porir Dip, Bangladesh.
Rohingyas are seen after arriving by boat on Sept. 14, 2017, in Shah Porir Dip, Bangladesh.
Rohingya refugee children carry an old woman in a sling near the Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 13, 2017.
Rohingya refugee children carry an old woman in a sling near the Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 13, 2017.
This photograph taken on Sept. 12, 2017, shows Rohingya refugees arriving by boat at Shah Parir Dwip on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing violence in Myanmar.
This photograph taken on Sept. 12, 2017, shows Rohingya refugees arriving by boat at Shah Parir Dwip on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing violence in Myanmar.
A Rohingya Muslim woman gets off a boat after crossing over from Myanmar into the Bangladesh side of the border, in Shah Porir Dwip near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Sept. 13, 2017. Rohingya Muslims pay local fishers 36 U.S. dollars in order to cross to Shah Porir Dwip peninsula.
A Rohingya Muslim woman gets off a boat after crossing over from Myanmar into the Bangladesh side of the border, in Shah Porir Dwip near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Sept. 13, 2017. Rohingya Muslims pay local fishers 36 U.S. dollars in order to cross to Shah Porir Dwip peninsula.
A Rohingya refugee girl sits next to her mother who rests after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 6, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee girl sits next to her mother who rests after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 6, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee man pulls a child as they walk to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, on Sept. 10, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee man pulls a child as they walk to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, on Sept. 10, 2017.
Rohingya Muslim refugees build temporary makeshift shelters, after crossing the border from Myanmar, in the Bangladeshi town of Teknaf on Sept. 10, 2017.
Rohingya Muslim refugees build temporary makeshift shelters, after crossing the border from Myanmar, in the Bangladeshi town of Teknaf on Sept. 10, 2017.
Rohingya refugee people take part in Eid al-Adha prayer near the Kutupalang makeshift refugee camp, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 2, 2017.
Rohingya refugee people take part in Eid al-Adha prayer near the Kutupalang makeshift refugee camp, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 2, 2017.
Rohingya refugees climb up a hill after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 8, 2017.
Rohingya refugees climb up a hill after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 8, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee boy stands in a queue to receive relief supplies given by local people in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 16, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee boy stands in a queue to receive relief supplies given by local people in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 16, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee carries a child through a paddy field after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 6, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee carries a child through a paddy field after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 6, 2017.
A local man carries an old Rohingya refugee woman as she is unable to walk after crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1, 2017.
A local man carries an old Rohingya refugee woman as she is unable to walk after crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee boy walks in the water after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1, 2017.
A Rohingya refugee boy walks in the water after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1, 2017.
Rohingya refugees stands in an open place during heavy rain, as they are held by Border Guard Bangladesh after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Aug. 31, 2017.
Rohingya refugees stands in an open place during heavy rain, as they are held by Border Guard Bangladesh after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Aug. 31, 2017.
Rohingya refugees stretch their hands to receive aid distributed by local organizations at Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14, 2017.
Rohingya refugees stretch their hands to receive aid distributed by local organizations at Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14, 2017.
Rohingya refugees walk on a muddy path at Thaingkhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14, 2017.
Rohingya refugees walk on a muddy path at Thaingkhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14, 2017.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.