News

Fire has emerged as a serious threat in the refugee camps on the Bangladesh border with Myanmar, impacting on safety and services.

The 34 crowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, housing more than 884,000 Rohingya refugees, have experienced a spate of more than 80 fires throughout 2021, causing widespread damage and in some cases, loss of life.

On Friday 19 March, a massive fire started in one of Save the Children’s health posts in Camp 17.

ROHINGYA CAMP FIRE: Last week’s blaze pushed more than 13,000 children out of school 

The deadly fire that ripped through the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, last week destroyed 163 learning spaces, putting education out of reach for 13,226 Rohingya children, according to aid agencies delivering education support in the camps.  

We stand in solidarity with the 10,000 Rohingya refugee families affected by the massive fires in Kutapalong Camp in Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh. The humanitarian community and the Government of Bangladesh have worked together tirelessly to support those affected by the blaze on March 22, 2021.

Save the Children is deeply concerned by a fire currently tearing through several densely populated Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which are home to over 800,000 Rohingya people.

It is yet unknown how many people might have been caught in the blaze, which has been spreading fast, but we do know that over 80,000 people live in the affected sub-camps.

Tayeba Begum, a Save the Children volunteer who witnessed the fire said: