Inferno in Cox's Bazar: Urgent Need for Safer Refugee Housing

A devastating fire in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, destroyed hundreds of makeshift homes and displaced over 2,000 people. Relief agencies are calling for urgent funding to build safer housing. The incident highlights persistent fire risks in the overcrowded camps, exacerbated by global aid cuts.

A significant fire ravaged a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, destroying over 300 makeshift homes and displacing more than 2,000 residents. The fire broke out early Tuesday in Camp 16, one of several crowded camps hosting over a million Rohingya, who fled persecution in Myanmar.

Lance Bonneau, Chief of Mission in Bangladesh for the International Organisation for Migration, warned of heightened protection risks after fires strike. Though firefighters controlled the blaze in three hours with no fatalities, many residents lost essential belongings, including identity documents, increasing the difficulty of daily survival in the camps.

Relief agencies emphasize an urgent need for funding amid severe cuts to international aid, including significant reductions by the US and European countries. The Norwegian Refugee Council stated that the planned construction of 50,000 semi-permanent shelters has been stalled. Without increased resources, fire risks will continue to endanger refugees' lives and livelihoods in Cox's Bazar.

(With inputs from agencies.)