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A monolithic occurrence destroyed hundreds of makeshift homes and displaced much than 2,000 radical successful a Rohingya exile campy successful Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, prompting calls connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) from alleviation agencies for much backing to physique safer lodging and assistance supply exigency aid.
The occurrence broke retired successful the aboriginal greeting hours of Tuesday (January 20) successful Camp 16, 1 of much than 30 camps successful the Cox's Bazar territory that marque up the world's largest exile centre, lodging much than 1 cardinal Rohingya who person fled persecution successful neighbouring Myanmar.
The United Nations' International Organisation for Migration said it had created a caller situation for families already struggling to survive.
“When fires onslaught successful overcrowded campy settings, the interaction extends acold beyond damaged infrastructure,” said Lance Bonneau, IOM Chief of Mission successful Bangladesh, successful a statement. “Families suffer shelter, indispensable belongings, and entree to basal services, expanding contiguous extortion risks."
It took firefighters astir 3 hours to bring the blaze nether control. While determination were nary fatalities and lone a fistful of insignificant injuries, galore radical mislaid not lone their homes but besides each their possessions, including individuality documents and different important papers, the Norwegian Refugee Council told The Associated Press connected Thursday.
The assistance organisation is among others operating wrong the Cox's Bazar camps.
Overall, the fire, whose origin has not yet been determined, destroyed 335 shelters and damaged 72 more, the organisation said. It besides damaged h2o and sanitation points successful the camp, 11 learning centres, and campy infrastructure and pathways.
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar successful 2017 aft the subject launched a brutal crackdown connected the Muslim number radical pursuing insurgent attacks connected defender posts successful Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, swelling the fig of refugees already successful Cox's Bazar.
The scale, organisation, and ferocity of the Myanmar subject cognition led to accusations of taste cleansing and genocide from the planetary community, including the UN.
The International Court of Justice successful The Hague, Netherlands, is presently proceeding a lawsuit accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during its alleged “clearance operation” successful 2017. Myanmar has denied the allegations.
Since 2017, ongoing warring successful Rakhine, betwixt authorities forces and groups opposing the subject leaders who ousted democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi successful February 2021, has led to tens of thousands much Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.
Following the fire, the IOM, Norwegian Refugee Council and different agencies launched alleviation efforts to supply exigency assistance to code the contiguous needs of those displaced, including blankets, mosquito nets, cooking supplies, hygiene kits and star lights.
“While contiguous assistance continues, the incidental underscores the persistent occurrence risks facing exile communities successful Cox's Bazar,” the IOM said.
The Norwegian Refugee Council said determination had been plans to physique 50,000 semi-permanent shelters to determination radical from the tarpaulin oregon plastic-covered bamboo structures successful which astir refugees live, but that planetary assistance cuts announced successful January 2025 meant they had to beryllium shelved.
The bamboo shelters, primitively meant to past lone six to 12 months, are packed unneurotic successful adjacent proximity successful the overcrowded camps and are peculiarly susceptible to fire, the organisation said.
It cited 1 study that betwixt May 2018 and December 2025, determination had been 2,425 fires successful the camps, affecting much than 100,000 radical and damaging much than 20,000 shelters, causing important nonaccomplishment of life.
The determination by US President Donald Trump past twelvemonth to chopped much than 90% of the United States Agency for International Development's overseas assistance contracts and USD 60 cardinal successful wide assistance astir the satellite — coupled with cuts to planetary assistance from respective European countries — has led to a dire shortage successful humanitarian assistance backing astir the world, including astatine Cox's Bazar.
In 2025, lone astir fractional the funds needed for the Rohingya effect were received, resulting successful a backing spread of USD 466.6 million, the Norwegian Refugee Council said.
“Funding present needs to beryllium urgently stepped up truthful we tin resume operation of the 50,000 approved semi-permanent shelters," said the organisation, which has already started helping physique caller impermanent homes successful the aftermath of the fire.
"Without contiguous action, fires similar this 1 successful Camp 16 successful Cox's Bazar volition proceed to endanger lives and unit families to rebuild from thing again and again.”
Other needs see exigency nutrient assistance, lukewarm clothes, the restoration of h2o and sanitation services and basal household items, the organisation said.
