Sheltering more than 600,000 refugees, Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh is the largest refugee camp in the world. The fire has destroyed more than 9,500 shelters. Refugees who lost their shelters are being temporarily accommodated within the camp. The fire has also reduced to ashes more than 1,600 important infrastructure facilities vital for daily operations, including hospitals, learning centers, aid distribution points, and a registration center. Local fire chief Imdadul Hoque said the latest blaze would have been catastrophic had it not been quickly controlled as the market is close to tens of thousands of highly inflammable bamboo and tarpaulin shanties where most of the Rohingya live
The fire broke out in the Balukhali refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, killing at least 15 people, wounding hundreds, and leaving tens of thousands of Rohingya homeless. At least 15 people have been killed in the massive fire that ripped through a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, while 400 remain missing, the United Nations refugee agency said. “The cause of the fire is still unknown,” Zakir Hossain Khan, a senior police official, told Reuters news agency by telephone from the camps. “Authorities are investigating to determine the cause of the fire.”
In addition to thousands of relief items, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has also provided medical supplies to partners and to support IOM in the affected areas. With partners, they have established and equipped mobile medical teams to provide first aid to affected refugees. Psychosocial support is equally important following this devastating fire. So far, UNHCR partners have provided psychosocial support to more than 4,000 affected refugees. In 2021 UNHCR is seeking US$294.5 million for its Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh. Within this, US$5.9 million is urgently needed to address the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic fire that affected so many Rohingya refugees. To date, UNHCR’s operation in Bangladesh is only 20 percent funded.
Sources:
Research Coordinator -Umme Affa Ibnat Masud
Graphics - Vaishnavi Bhojane
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