Refugee Crisis Foundation (RCF) is a UK-registered charity and international humanitarian organisation committed to helping vulnerable individuals in crisis situations. RCF has provided medical, dental and welfare aid in refugee camps across Europe and Asia. Our mission is to provide innovative, locally-led and sustainable programs that build capacity and up-skills the local workforce through dedicated training.
Established in 2015, we provided emergency dental and medical treatment to refugees living in the camps in Calais, France and Greece. Since 2018, we have been working in the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh. An estimated one million Rohingya live in the most densely populated refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Most have fled persecution in Myanmar, are stateless, and unable to leave the camp. They are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. This population has limited access to specialist healthcare.
We are the largest oral healthcare provider in the camps. Our services include multiple dental clinics, a mobile dental service, and community-based initiatives to instil healthy habits in refugee schoolchildren. We also provide oral healthcare services to the impoverished host community.
The refugees have no access to specialist services and we are the only provider of ear and hearing care services. Through this program, we provide training on primary care management of ear disease for doctors working in the camps. In addition to this, we have conducted a field trip with a group of international ENT surgeons to undertake surgeries and train the local workforce.
To rehabilitate hearing loss, our group has pioneered low-cost bone conduction aids for refugee children and adults. We conduct high quality research to inform the design, delivery, integration and evaluation of health services. Our research is regularly published and presented at national and international conferences to increase awareness of the plight of refugees living in camps. We work closely with several partners including UNHCR, the World Health Organisation, FDI World Dental Federation, governmental entities, local non-governmental organisations, and academic partners.
Our Mission
RCF is committed to helping vulnerable individuals in crisis situations, particularly refugees
Our Vision
To aid in the relief of poverty via welfare initiatives
To provide emergency medical and dental services
To collaborate with like-minded organisations to further our cause
Our Core Values
Sustainability
The projects implemented should be sustainable to ensure long term impact and positive changes to target communities.
Empowerment
The need to empower and enable displaced individuals is a priority. We engage with communities affected so we can bring about meaningful change, improve their situation and restore their dignity. We also promote community led initiatives.
Collaboration
The strengthening of relationships with partners to ensure that skills, resources and community links can be shared to enable us to further our cause.
Management Team
Dr Khaleda Zaheer CEO & Co-Founder
Khaleda is a founding member of the charity and has been serving our mission by leading the healthcare programs. She has supported the charity in setting its vision and shaping the organisation.
As the CEO of RCF, Khaleda’s has been designing and delivering quality healthcare programs for refugees in Bangladesh. Her focus is on locally-led and sustainable programs that build capacity and upskills the local workforce through comprehensive training. Under Khaleda’s leadership, the Foundation has grown to become the largest provider of oral healthcare services and the sole provider of ear and hearing care in the world’s largest refugee camp, home to one million Rohingya in Bangladesh.
Khaleda’s has formed national and international partnerships with organisations including the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Health Organisation, academic institutions in the UK and Bangladesh, national NGOs, FDI World Dental Federation, and the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
As an advocate for refugees, Khaleda conducts high-quality research to inform the design, delivery, integration, and evaluation of healthcare initiatives. She has been awarded multiple research grants for innovative solutions addressing the high burden of oral and ear diseases. Her research work has been published in reputable peer-reviewed journals and she is regularly invited to give national and international lectures on healthcare for refugees.
