BRAC has mobilised its team on the ground to support families affected by a devastating fire in Rohingya camps in Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.  

The devastating fire that broke out in Rohingya camps of Kutulpalong Balukhali area on Monday afternoon displaced several thousand families who are squatting in the nearby open areas. Government response services, including fire services, rescue and response teams, and volunteers rushed to the spot immediately. Aid and development agencies joined the response efforts by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) office and the work is still ongoing.

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the incident site sheltered over 126,381 people before the fire incident and almost all of them are currently squatting in open areas.

The Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar and Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Ukhiya immediately visited the affected areas and requested BRAC to provide emergency basic support including to urgently ensure medical support with nurses, provide tarpaulin for temporary shelter and ensure female health and hygiene, and security services.

BRAC, in a prompt move, mobilised emergency medical team to provide basic first aid support to the affected people at the safe shelters.

BRAC Primary Healthcare Centres in camps 8E and 13 are fully operational and a medical team of 10-12 members are providing primary health support from the Balukhali Kashemia High School. A total of 233 injured people have already been provided with primary and emergency medical facilities.

BRAC has distributed 11,900 fortified biscuit packets (595 KG) and 8,000 liter of water bottles among the affected families taking shelter in the Balukhali Kashemia High School field. A total of 819 packets of cooked food were supplied to 556 people as lunch and dinners. BRAC provided 5500 jerry cans to OXFAM to ensure immediate water supply among the affected people and another 800 cans have been stockpiled for distribution.

So far, 977 pieces of tarpaulin have been distributed as emergency shelter support and another 1000 pieces have been kept aside.

Sajedul Hasan, Director of Humanitarian Programme at BRAC said, “It is a terrible disaster. We expect that coordinated interventions by the government, BRAC and other non-government organisations will bring normalcy into the lives of affected Rohingya families in the earliest possible time. BRAC already distributed food and drinkable water to the affected families. Healthcare facilities for the injured people are ongoing. Several initiatives have also been taken to ensure protection of women and children.”

The Gender Based Violence (GBV) team opened four SSWGs (Sub Sector Working Group) as an emergency shelter for women and girls in camps 8E, 8W, 5, and 6. Some families have already taken shelter there. There is a stockpile of 1,000 emergency dignity kits as emergency support for women and girls.

The Child Protection team has mobilised volunteers in the field to identify and support separated children and adolescents. By now identified missing children have already been fed with energy biscuits and taken them to safe shelters. Some centre managers are still near Balukhali to provide support to missing children and adolescents. High energy biscuits are being distributed to these missing children.

BRAC thanks local government authorities, partners and frontline responders who are working together to respond to the crisis and ensure safety for all.