Desk Report:
Bangladeshi-born British human rights activist Ruhi Lauren Akhtar is on board the Global Sumud flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. She is the founder and CEO of the humanitarian organization Refugee Biryani and Bananas.
In her latest post on Facebook, she wrote, “Last night, aid ships carrying only food, baby milk and emergency supplies were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters and the participants were kidnapped. This is a terrible violation, but it does not end here. The people of Gaza still need us.”
Calling on the world to stand by the operation and continue international pressure to break the blockade, Ruhi Lauren said, “Our protesting voices are important. If we continue to fight together, one day the blockade will be broken and aid will be able to reach us unhindered.”
Ruhi Lauren Akhtar was born in Morpeth, Northumberland, UK. She spent a year in Bangladesh as a child. She worked as a podiatrist in the UK’s National Health Service for many years.
In 2015, after seeing a picture of a three-year-old Syrian refugee child lying dead, he was drawn to volunteer work and began helping in refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk. In September of the same year, he founded Refugee Biryani and Bananas, which continues to provide food, medical care, and skills training to war-torn and displaced populations.
He was also actively involved in organizing a peaceful march from Cairo to the Rafah border in March this year. His organization, RBB, is working on the ground in Gaza to distribute relief supplies, although it faces various obstacles in crossing the border.
In 2024, he received the ‘Person of the Year’ award from the North East Bangladeshi Awards.
