March 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Some 12,000 Rohingya refugees have been affected by a fire that affected Cox’s Bazar camp in Bangladesh on Sunday, causing “considerable damage” in large areas of this enclave, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The organization estimates that some 2,000 stores have been destroyed by the flames, which started around 2:45 p.m. (local time) on Sunday. Local authorities and aid agencies quickly mobilized to try to contain the fire, the cause of which is unknown.
The overcrowded conditions and the characteristics of the shelters favor the occurrence of this type of incident. The most serious recent fires were recorded in January 2022 and March 2021, with equally large damage and even fatalities.
IOM, in collaboration with other partners, is now trying to assess the needs of those affected by the latest incident, both in the short and long term. It has already started distributing emergency first aid to these people and is paying some 900 Rohingyas to remove the remains of the destroyed facilities.
In a first estimate, the organization calculates that at least 7.4 million dollars will be necessary to recover the areas and services affected by the latest fire. The Cox’s Bazar camps are considered the largest in the world and house approximately one million people.
