Bangladesh, fire in the refugee camp of Rohingya refugees: at least 12 thousand people without shelter

In the South of Bangladesh a fire has broken out and has affected one of the largest refugee camps in the world. On Sunday 5 March, the flames broke out in the Campo 11 of Balukhali, in the southeastern border district of Cox’s Bazarwhere more than a million Muslim refugees live Rohingya. According to the Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mizanur Rahmantaken from Guardianthe fire quickly engulfed the bamboo and tarpaulin structures, burning “approx 2,000 shelters and leaving no shelter about 12,000 Burmese citizens“.

Most of those living in the camp fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017. In fact, around 740,000 arrived in Bangladesh dal Myanmar only in August 2017, when the Burmese army began to implement strict repressive actions: the conditions in Burma they have worsened since the military coup dating back to 2021. Now the Bangladeshi authorities they are investigating the origin of the fire which would not have caused any victims. There policewho arrested a man, does not rule out the possibility that the fire was caused by a act of sabotage.

Among the shelters that went up in flames, there are many devastated structures Save The Children. He spoke out on the matter Onno van Manennational director of Save the Children in Bangladesh, who described the serious conditions in which he finds himself living Rohingya people: “This devastating fire,” he said, “is yet another tragedy affecting the Rohingya people, who have already endured untold hardships for years. Lots of families they have been deprived of theirs safety and the few possessions they have left. All of this must be a terrible warning to us: the children stuck in the fields of Cox’s Bazar they face a bleak future. After nearly six years, they continue to struggle against ainadequate educationlevels of malnutritionstunting, child marriage e child labor. Despite the relentless efforts of the humanitarian community, a refugee camp it is not a place for a child to grow up”.