Forty-three fire-affected families of Kutubdia received cash and non-food items Thursday after a blaze tore through Amjakhali Al-Amin Market of Baraghope union of the upazila in Cox's Bazar on November 18. The fire gutted 24 houses and 19 shops. Non-government organisation COAST Foundation, with the assistance of Malteser International of Germany, distributed cash assistance to 24 families and 19 shopkeepers. Each of the 24 affected families received Tk20,000 in emergency multipurpose cash support, a set of non-food items, including sanitary pads, clothes, slippers, blankets, and mosquito nets that cost around Tk5,000. Each of the 19 shopkeepers got Tk15,000 as emergency startup support to start their business again. Wednesday, COAST and Malteser conducted a rapid assessment of all-fire affected families and shopkeepers. Read: BMET gives bicycles to flood-affected students as alternative to relief Also, COAST consulted the district administration, upazila administration, union parishad, and various individuals for fire response. Shahinul Haque Marshal, chairman of Cox's Bazar Zila Parishad, Gorge Mitra Chakma, assistant commissioner (land); Rajan Ghimire, country director, and Matin Shardar, program and partner coordinator of Malteser, were present during the distribution programme. Rajan said COAST and Malteser came forward with cash assistance and non-food items to support affected households as an immediate response to the fire disaster.