The rescue and rehabilitation operations continue on Wednesday in Bangladesh after a massive fire left hundreds of Rohingya families homeless in Cox’s Bazar amid rough winter weather.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.2 million Muslim Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, most of whom fled Myanmar in August 2017 during a military crackdown that human rights groups described as genocide.
The devastating fire on Tuesday killed two people, including a minor, and damaged over 600 makeshift houses in Kutupalong Camp 1W, Cox’s Bazar Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Shamsud Douza told Anadolu.
The fire spread in the camp quickly due to bamboo makeshift houses and congested establishment, according to officials and refugees.
The cause of the fire is being investigated, the official added.
Nur Hakim, a Rohingya refugee of the affected camp, told Anadolu that 669 shanties of Rohingya were burned down, while another 114 were demolished to prevent the fire from spreading.
“This fire incident has placed us in a dangerous condition. Four of my relatives have become homeless while the deepening cold weather has made it the situation worse,” he said.
The official, however, assured of relocating the homeless refugees soon.
“The repair and humanitarian efforts have all started with support from the UN and other donor agencies in the camp,” Shamsud Douza added.
Separately, UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang on Tuesday discussed the situation of Rohingya with Bangladesh’s top diplomat at the world body in New York.
Yang and Muhammad Abdul Muhith, permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN, discussed the issue of the Rohingya refugees in the South Asian nation, including the “challenges associated with it,” a statement from the UNGA president’s office said.
The two also discussed the recent resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.