On 22 March 2021, a raging fire ripped through a camp, housing hundreds of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar district of Bangladesh, leaving over 15 persons dead and more than 400 missing. Refugee aid groups and networks estimate that between 40,500 and 50,000 refugees may have been affected by the fire which devastated the settlement, part of a network of camps housing over a million refugees who have fled Myanmar since 2017. According to eyewitnesses and volunteers, a number of children and women were trapped by the barbed wire fencing around the camp and could have been saved in the absence of such a fence. A few World Food Programme food centres were also burnt to the ground. Distraught refugees have been seeking shelter in nearby camps or with relatives. Tens of thousands of shelter houses have been reduced to ashes and the meagre belongings of the aggrieved families completely destroyed.

The Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp, one of the largest in the world, has been housing the Rohingya’s fleeing persecution and genocide from neigbouring Myanmar. The largest exodus of Rohingya’s began in 2017 after a heavy government crackdown following an attack on a police post by Rohingya insurgents. The Bangladesh government has launched a probe into the causes of the fire.

To provide relief to the victims of the fire and in keeping with its founding ethos, Rethinking Refugees is launching a fundraiser for donations in all denominations. The funds raised will be donated to the Rohingya Emergency Fire Support and used for rehabilitating families affected by the devastating fire and bringing them immediate relief. We, therefore, encourage you to contribute generously. All money raised will go towards the organisation - Restless Beings (https://www.restlessbeings.org/). They are working towards emergency support at the camp and every donation would be towards buying the following things:

• Tarpaulin & bamboo to give immediate shelter
• Household items for urgent livelihood: Jugs, pots, plates, cups, sleeping mat
• Dignity Kits - Sanitary Pads, soap, amsa cloth
• Basic food pack

We urge our friends, followers, collaborators, and partners to please help the Rohingya community during this crucial time. Every little donation helps. We urge you to come together in #solidarity to #RethinkRefugees and #RethinkRohingyas

Pictures: The New Humanitarian, Anadolu Agency, Dhaka Tribune, Al-Jazeera, UNICEF, VOANews

English below:

On 22 March 2021, a raging fire ripped through a camp, housing hundreds of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazaar district of Bangladesh, leaving over 15 persons dead and more than 400 missing. Refugee aid groups and networks estimate that between 40,500 and 50,000 refugees may have been affected by the fire which devastated the settlement, part of a network of camps housing over a million refugees who have fled Myanmar since 2017. According to eyewitnesses and volunteers, a number of children and women were trapped by the barbed wire fencing around the camp and could have been saved in the absence of such a fence. A few World Food Programme food centres were also burnt to the ground. Distraught refugees have been seeking shelter in nearby camps or with relatives. Tens of thousands of shelter houses have been reduced to ashes and the meagre belongings of the aggrieved families completely destroyed.

The Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp, one of the largest in the world, has been housing the Rohingya’s fleeing persecution and genocide from neigbouring Myanmar. The largest exodus of Rohingya’s began in 2017 after a heavy government crackdown following an attack on a police post by Rohingya insurgents. The Bangladesh government has launched a probe into the causes of the fire.

To provide relief to the victims of the fire and in keeping with its founding ethos, Rethinking Refugees is launching a fundraiser for donations in all denominations. The funds raised will be donated to the Rohingya Emergency Fire Support and used for rehabilitating families affected by the devastating fire and bringing them immediate relief. We, therefore, encourage you to contribute generously. All money raised will go towards the organisation - Restless Beings (https://www.restlessbeings.org/). They are working towards emergency support at the camp and every donation would be towards buying the following things:

• Tarpaulin & bamboo to give immediate shelter
• Household items for urgent livelihood: Jugs, pots, plates, cups, sleeping mat
• Dignity Kits - Sanitary Pads, soap, amsa cloth
• Basic food pack

We urge our friends, followers, collaborators, and partners to please help the Rohingya community during this crucial time. Every little donation helps. We urge you to come together in #solidarity to #RethinkRefugees and #RethinkRohingyas

Pictures: The New Humanitarian, Anadolu Agency, Dhaka Tribune, Al-Jazeera, UNICEF