Heavy rain, flash floods and landslides have deepened the humanitarian crisis in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, leaving at least 15 refugees dead and affecting more than 26,000 others over the past six days.
According to the latest situation report released on Thursday by the Rohingya Coordination Platform (RCP), weather-related incidents between the night of July 4 and midday on July 9 killed 15 Rohingyas.
They injured 18 others, while 26,119 people were affected. Another 4,307 refugees have been temporarily relocated to safer areas.
In a statement, UNHCR Bangladesh Representative Ivo Freijsen said the camps had recorded 286 weather-related incidents during the period, including 95 landslides, 156 windstorms and 21 flash floods.
The adverse weather partially damaged 2,809 shelters and destroyed 13 others. Schools, health facilities, water supply systems and sanitation infrastructure also suffered extensive damage, further disrupting humanitarian services in the densely populated camps.
Freijsen said humanitarian agencies, under the leadership of the Bangladesh government, were continuing coordinated rescue operations while providing emergency shelter, food, healthcare and other essential assistance to affected refugees.
Efforts to relocate families from high-risk areas to safer locations are also ongoing.
Humanitarian organisations said they were working closely with the government to support rescue operations, emergency relocations and relief distribution.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall through July 11, raising concerns over fresh landslides and flash floods in the camps.
UNHCR warned that the already fragile conditions could deteriorate further if the heavy rain continues.
At the same time, humanitarian agencies said emergency preparedness measures had been further strengthened to ensure a rapid response to any new disasters.
By Abdu Rashid Manik and Mohammad Morshed
Photo: UNHCR
