Catastrophic Fire Displaces Over 45,000 Refugees at Cox’s Bazar

Thousands of Rohingya refugees sustained casualties during a fire at Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee camp in the world.

On 22 March, a fire ravaged the largest refugee camp in the world, taking the lives of 15 people, including 3 children. Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh houses 900,000 Rohingya refugees, many of whom fled Myanmar in 2017 due to violence and religious persecution where the Muslim minority was being targeted by a military campaign with genocidal intent. The fire destroyed some 10,000 tents and makeshift dwellings upon which 45,000 people relied for shelter. 

The cause of the fire is unknown and its impact is still being quantified. The camp, situated on coastal land near Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar, has seen at least four fires since January, but none so “massive and devastating” as its most recent one, according to U.N. refugee representative in Bangladesh Johannes van der Klaauw.

At least 400 people remain unaccounted for since the blaze; over 550 are left injured and 50 children are separated from their parents. According to Refugees International, some children were “unable to flee because of barbed wire set up in the camps.” Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norweigan Refugee Council, called on the government of Bangladesh to “review their decision to fence in these camps, halt all fence construction and find a safer, more humane alternative.”

Infrastructure across the camp including its largest health center, 149 learning centers, a nutrition distribution point, and water and supply stations suffered critical damage as well. There is an urgent need for provisional shelter to prevent further casualties among the displaced refugees.

Relief operations are being coordinated by the International Organization for Migration along with the U.N. Refugee Agency. IOM spokeswoman Angela Wells noted that “Rohingya volunteers on the ground were the first responders, helping people to safety, supporting fire response efforts and working to support relief efforts.”

The U.N.’s International Children's Emergency Fund issued a statement on 26 March committing to the safety and protection of the displaced children in accordance with local authorities. UNICEF's partners have delivered emergency supplies for water, sanitation, and hygiene; they have additionally sent mobile medical teams to provide first aid to relieve burns, cuts, and further injuries. Child-friendly spaces have also been created where hundreds have received psychosocial support.

In their statement, UNICEF renewed its call to relevant governments and parties to “endure a long-term solution where Rohingya children and their families should be able to live as full members of society in peace and harmony with their neighbours back at home in Myanmar.” The most intense fire in damage and scale at the world’s largest refugee camp has elucidated the need for widespread reform not just in camps but within migrant-sending nations as well.