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On March 22nd, 2021, a massive and devastating fire broke out in the Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, leaving 15 dead, 400 missing, and even more displaced and without homes. As a result of this fire, homes, schools, and hospitals were burned to the ground.
Destroyed hospitals are especially a problem this year amidst the COVID-19 crisis considering the catastrophic outbreaks currently happening in Bangladesh. At this time, no vaccines have been administered to the Rohingya refugees even though they are living in such unsanitary and confined conditions without hospitals – a perfect recipe for a COVID-19 outbreak.
In 2017, many Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh to escape the persecution and violence they were facing in Myanmar. Once in Bangladesh, they were forced to live in camps without adequate resources and surrounded by barbed wire. This neglect by the Bangladeshi government to provide safe living environments for the refugees can be to blame for these devastating fires. The Rohingya people fled persecution by their government to only face more trauma and loss from preventable fires.
As a response to the fires by the Bangladeshi government, they proposed the relocation of many refugees to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal that has been previously deemed unlivable due to the chance of floods and the threat of deadly cyclones. At this point, over 13,000 Rohingya have already been relocated there. This is obviously not the answer as living on this island promotes just as much risk as living in these overcrowded camps.
In Myanmar, the Rohingya faced unspeakable trauma and now, four years later, they are facing yet another trauma. They are starting from square one; they must mourn those that died in the fire, their possessions, their homes, and try to move forward.
As a result of these fires, the UNHCR has stepped in to provide resources and aid such as food, medical supplies, and psychosocial support to those affected. The UNHCR’s operation in Bangladesh is only 20% funded and is currently seeking public support in the form of donations as reparations for just the fire alone is going to amount to approximately 5.9 million dollars.
Sabryna Farsace, April 2021