Authorities in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh utilized loudspeakers, volunteers, and community leaders to relocate individuals from hazardous areas to safer locations following landslides that claimed the lives of at least 13 refugees recently. Among the tragic incidents was a landslide triggered by monsoon rains on Wednesday, which resulted in the death of five children at an Islamic school within a camp in Cox’s Bazar housing over a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
A teacher at the Islamic school recounted the chaos during the landslide, mentioning that girls were getting ready for classes when a section of the building collapsed. Survivors from the western side managed to escape, but those on the eastern side were trapped under debris, as described by Begum Jahan, the teacher.
Rescue efforts by residents of the refugee camp commenced before official emergency services arrived, with Dollar Tripura, the head of the local fire service and civil defence, reporting that emergency teams later arrived to save the injured and recover the deceased. The rescue operation concluded on Wednesday evening.
Jamal Hossain, a Rohingya volunteer involved in the rescue mission, stated that the survivors were rushed to hospitals, and unfortunately, all the deceased individuals were women. Concerns were raised about the possibility of more bodies being buried beneath the rubble.
Authorities in Cox’s Bazar confirmed the relocation of refugees from high-risk terrain, with over 1,000 people already evacuated. Despite warnings, refugees often hesitate to leave their makeshift dwellings. The Bangladesh weather office predicted further rainfall in the upcoming days.
Media reports indicated that at least 22 individuals lost their lives in landslides and wall collapses over the past three days in Bangladesh, a country with a population of 170 million. The plea for international assistance to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar has been ongoing for years, but progress has been hindered due to the continued control of Myanmar by the same military responsible for the 2017 attacks on the Rohingya.
Many Rohingya opt to flee to Malaysia and other Asian regions via perilous journeys on fragile fishing boats, resulting in numerous fatalities and disappearances annually. The reduction in foreign aid, particularly affecting children, following cuts by the U.S. starting last year has exacerbated hardships in the camps, leading to school closures and diminished food support.