Stateless: Rohingya Women Fend for Themselves

In under a month between August and September 2017, over 420,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, leaving behind entire villages in townships burned to the ground and hundreds dead since a military crackdown began late last month in retaliation over the ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) attacks on police stations and an army base in the Rakhine State. After arriving at the designated sites for the Rohingya, thousands of refugees throng the main road hoping for a food handout, sometimes for the whole day and into the night. Much of the food distribution to the nearly half a million new arrivals has been ad hoc, leaving many families with the uncertainty of where their next meal will come from, even with local and international organizations scrambling to provide aid.

More than half of the 420,000 people fleeing have been children and women, who were either separated from their husband in the violence, or killed by the military. Without the family's main bread winner, this has left many women vulnerable to exploitation in the form of sexual violence, harassment, and potentially human trafficking. The rate of child marriage amongst displaced populations also rises when families see no other choice.

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Kulsuma, 30, embraces her son while waiting by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Kulsuma arrived in Bangladesh 8 days ago. She does not know the fate of her husband.

Nulbahar, 20, waits by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Nulbahar, from the Maungdaw Township in Myanmar fled with her five children after the Burmese Army took her husband out of their house. She does not know what happened to him.

Settera, 25, waits on the side of the road for food and cash distributions with one of her two children near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh, on Friday, September 22, 2017. Settera's husband remains in Myanmar although she does not know of his fate since the military entered her village and forced people to flee.

Romeeja Begum, 30, waits with her three children by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Romeeja's husband remains in Myanmar but she does not know of his fate.

Hasina Begum, 25, waits with her son by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Hasina does not know where her husband is as they were separated after crossing the border in to Bangladesh.

Rashida Begum, 22, waits with her son by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Rashida's husband was asleep inside their home when the army arrived and set their house alight, with him still inside. He died in the fire, and Rashida was forced to flee.

Jahan, 25, waits with her two children by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Jahan's husband remains in Myanmar but she does not know of his fate. The Burmese Army attacked their village, attempting to round up its civilians, when her husband ran away.

Rogina Begum, 25, waits by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp, in Bangladesh on Friday, September 22, 2017. Rogina was widowed two years ago when her husband, a fisherman, died at sea. She was forced to flee when the military began their assault on her village.

Fatima Khatoon, 30, waits with three of her four children by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Saturday September 23, 2017. Fatima arrived 21 days ago after fleeing from her village in the Buthidaung Township. She does not know where her husband is, or if he is alive. They became separated after they Burmese Army attacked their village.

Shuma Maher, 35, waits with her daughter by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Shuma's husband remains in Myanmar but she does not know if he is alive. They were separated when the military attacked their village.

Settera, 30, waits with her baby by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Her husband was shot and killed by the Burmese Army and her house burned when they entered her village in the Maungdaw.

Anwara, 22, waits with one of her two children by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Anwara's husband was a day laborer and was killed 18 days ago by the Buddhist militias in her village. She arrived in Balukhali 12 days ago.

Nokayda, 21, waits with her two children by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. Her husband remains in Myanmar although she does not know what has happened to him. They were separated near the border as they tried to flee.

Samira, 20, waits with her baby by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Saturday September 23, 2017. Samira was separated from her husband after being attacked by the Burmese Army in the Buthidaung Township. She does not know what happened to him.

Alkama, 20, waits with her two children by the side of the road for food and cash distributions near the Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh on Friday September 22, 2017. When the Burmese Army entered her village, they attempted to flee but were caught. Soldiers then killed her husband before releasing Alkama and her children.

Fatima Fatoon, 25, waits by the side of the road for food and cash distribution with her son near the Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh on Friday, September 22, 2017. She has three children who she fled her village with when the Burmese military attacked and burned their homes. In the chaos, she became separated from her husband and he is still in Myanmar, although she does not know if he is alive.

NICOLE TUNG | PHOTOGRAPHER

Stateless: Rohingya Women Fend for Themselves

NICOLE TUNG | PHOTOGRAPHER

Freelance photojournalist covering social and conflict-related issues in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.