Fire Breaks Out at Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh

Fire Breaks Out at Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh
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A large fire has broken out at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, one of the world’s largest refugee settlements and home to more than one million Rohingya refugees.

Al Jazeera reported that the blaze tore through the camp, where many shelters are built close together using highly flammable materials such as bamboo and tarpaulin. Immediate details on casualties, the cause of the fire and the scale of damage were not available in the initial report.

The camp shelters Rohingya Muslims who fled persecution and military-led violence in Myanmar, particularly during the mass exodus that began in 2017. Many residents continue to live in overcrowded conditions with limited access to durable housing and essential services.

Fires are a recurring threat in the Cox’s Bazar camps. Earlier this year, a fire at Camp 16 destroyed hundreds of shelters and displaced more than 2,000 people, according to aid agencies. Relief groups have repeatedly warned that overcrowding, fragile shelters and funding shortages increase the risk of disasters.

Humanitarian agencies say safer housing, improved fire-prevention systems and sustained international funding are urgently needed to protect refugees from repeated emergencies.