Responding to a recent fire that swept through one of the refugee camps hosting nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, the European Union has released €300,000 in emergency aid to assist the affected population. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of 7 January, resulted in over 5,000 people being left without shelter.

The allocated funding aims to provide immediate emergency assistance to address the most pressing needs, particularly in terms of shelter, water, and site development. The implementation of these funds will be carried out by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and will complement the ongoing efforts of various humanitarian partners.

The fire, which originated in Camp 5, one of the most congested camps, quickly spread, resulting in the destruction of close to 950 shelters and partial damage to others. Communal facilities, including a health center, 15 learning centers, and numerous latrines and washrooms, were also affected.

Remarkably, despite the extensive damage, no casualties have been reported so far, thanks to the swift intervention of the fire brigade, aided by essential support from Rohingya community volunteers.

Fires are unfortunately common in the densely populated camps, prompting the European Union to allocate funds for disaster preparedness programs. These initiatives have helped strengthen camp structures and enhance readiness to mitigate the risks associated with such incidents.

The recent €300,000 aid is in addition to the over €38 million provided by the EU last year in humanitarian aid to Bangladesh. This substantial support has been directed not only towards addressing the Rohingya refugee crisis but also towards reducing the impact of natural hazards. Notably, in response to another devastating fire in Cox’s Bazar camps last March, the EU promptly released €1 million to assist the affected refugees.

BOB Post