Floods and landslides kill 10, batter nearly 16,000 Rohingya in three days
At least 10 Rohingya refugees have died and nearly 16,000 others have been affected after three days of relentless monsoon rains triggered landslides, flash floods, waterlogging and powerful winds across the Rohingya camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, exposing once again the extreme vulnerability of the world's largest refugee settlement.
According to the Inter Sector Flash Situation Update-2, released on Tuesday, 160 disaster-related incidents were recorded between 8:00 pm on July 4 and 10:00 am on July 7, affecting 15,813 refugees living in the densely populated camps.
The report documented 83 incidents of storms and strong winds, 52 landslides, 14 flash floods, three drowning incidents and two infrastructure-related hazards during the three-day period.
Eight people were killed in landslides and two drowned, while another 10 people were injured.
Emergency responders evacuated 3,182 refugees from high-risk slopes and flood-prone areas to safer locations. However, the severe weather damaged 1,614 shelters, while another 10 shelters were completely destroyed, leaving many families in urgent need of emergency accommodation.
Camp 10 recorded the highest number of affected residents, with 1,891 people impacted, followed by Camp 6 (1,375), Camp 12 (1,255), Camp 5 (1,149), Camp 1 West (1,003), Camp 11 (988), Camp 7 (733), Camp 16 (683), Camp 18 (674) and Camp 14 (625).
Camp 11 suffered the greatest shelter damage, with 213 shelters partially destroyed. Significant damage was also reported in Camp 12 (191 shelters), Camp 9 (119), Camp 16 (88), Camp 10 (87) and Camp 18 (84).
Beyond homes, the disaster damaged critical camp infrastructure, including 391 community facilities, 465 retaining walls, 108 latrines, 24 water sources, 20 learning centres, two mosques, 104 footpaths, 74 stairways, eight roads and seven bridges, hampering relief operations and restricting residents' access to essential services.
The water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector sustained extensive losses. The report said 609 latrines, 188 bathing facilities, 42 tube wells, 11 tap stands, nine faecal sludge treatment plants, two water reservoirs and 11 waste recovery centres were damaged, heightening concerns over shortages of safe drinking water and the potential spread of waterborne diseases.
The Rohingya camps, home to more than one million refugees who fled violence in Myanmar, are built on steep, deforested hillsides that become highly unstable during the annual monsoon season.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that heavy rainfall poses one of the greatest threats to camp residents, with landslides and flash floods frequently causing deaths, displacement and widespread damage.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, 129 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in Cox's Bazar in the 24 hours ending at 6:00 am on Tuesday, with more rain forecast in the coming days.
Humanitarian agencies and camp authorities are continuing emergency operations to provide affected families with temporary shelter, food, clean drinking water and other life-saving assistance while assessing further risks as the monsoon season intensifies.