A fire blazing through the largest refugee camp in the world
A massive fire is racing through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh, leaving thousands homeless. It has hit Camp 11 in Cox’s Bazar, where more than a million Rohingya refugees live.
The part of the camp where the fire broke out is hilly, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach it and for families to escape. The health facilities in the area are very rudimentary to have a swift response. There are a lot of field hospitals but not enough to respond to the needs of 1.2 million people.
The fire on 5th March has caused widespread destruction and so far:
- Over 2,000 shelters have been damaged or destroyed.
- 12,000 refugees have lost everything again.
- 90 facilities including hospitals and learning centres have burnt down.
There is an existing food crisis which will now be exasperated by the fire.
The UN has been forced to cut food rations for Rohingya refugees by 17% and has warned of “unconscionable” further cuts in April as a result of dwindling international donations. The World Food Programme (WFP) said it needs £104m urgently to avoid further cuts.
Please donate generously so that our team on the ground can provide essential food aid and attend to vital needs.
