IOM in coordination with the humanitarian actors in Cox’s Bazar will soon conduct technical assessments to better assess the damages caused by a recent fire, and the immediate and longer-term needs of the affected people. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has taken a mobile medical team on the ground to provide assistance as needed. Additionally, IOM through its communications with communities (CwC) team is being deployed within the camp to ensure people have access to right information.  Read: 1200 homes gutted in Ukhia Rohingya camp fire IOM has taken immediate steps to mobilize non-food item (NFI) kits for all affected households- which are being supplemented with blankets to help those affected to keep warm amidst the cold dry weather in Cox’s Bazar. “We are coordinating with other humanitarian actors to ensure that those affected are provided with food, health, protection, water, sanitation, and hygiene needs. Shelter repair/rebuilding and access to cooking facilities – in the form of LPG are top priorities as the affected families seek to recover from the damages caused by the fire,” said Nusrath Ghazzali, officer-in-charge for IOM Bangladesh. A significant fire swept through camp 16 under IOM’s area of responsibility in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday afternoon, impacting thousands of Rohingya refugees and host community members, and causing considerable damage to sections of the world’s largest refugee camp.  The fire was first reported just before 5pm and IOM immediately mobilized response teams to protect refugees and bring the situation back under control in coordination with the local authorities and fire brigade. The cause and origin of the fire is unknown at this stage. At this stage no fatalities have been reported, though two people are reportedly injured by the fire.  Read: Cox's Bazar Rohingya camp fire: Teams working 24/7 to regain normalcy This latest fire comes a week after another fire broke out in the refugee camp on 2 January causing significant damage to IOM’s Severe Acute Respiratory Infection and Isolation and Treatment Center (SARI ITC) in camp 20 Extension.  The conditions in the camps make large fires a real risk. In March 2021, a massive fire that broke out in the camp resulted in loss of life, displaced 45,000 Rohingya refugees and caused catastrophic damage to the world’s largest refugee camp.

A fire broke out at the extended Rohingya camp at Kutupalong in Ukhiya upazila, Cox's Bazar on Sunday, burning at least 20 houses and a health compound, officials said. However, no injuries were reported from the fire. The fire that burned the houses and a health compound, operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), started at around 7pm at Camp-20 Extension, said Md Shamsu-Ddouza Nayan, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner (deputy secretary). The cause of the fire at Block D of the camp was not immediately known, said Naimul Haque, commander of Armed Police Battalion (APBn-14). "However, no casualties have been reported in the fire so far." At first, Ukhiya fire service rushed to the camp, and later two units of firefighters from Cox's Bazar fire service joined them, Md Abdullah, deputy assistant director of Cox's Bazar fire service, said. A fire started inside the IOM's Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Treatment Centre (SARI ITC) compound today in Cox's Bazar, Tarek Mahmud, national communication officer at IOM Cox's Bazar, said. Also read: Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp fire guts over 400 houses The IOM hospital staff and patients were evacuated to a safer area, while the organisation's staff and Rohingya volunteers, assigned to the disaster management unit, immediately started to contain the fire. "By around 7:35pm, the fire brigade arrived on the spot and could tame the flames by 8:10pm. One of the three main areas of the compound sustained fire damage. The reason for the fire is unknown," Tarek said. Soon thereafter, IOM's Deputy Chief of Mission arrived from Cox's at the SARI ITC compound with technical staff to assess the situation and liaise with the authorities. The fire damaged one of the three areas in the compound. However, no areas around the compound were damaged.   Early tomorrow, another IOM team will conduct a more thorough damage assessment, said Tarek. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11

Japan has decided to extend emergency support of around $1 million for the victims and survivors of the Rohingya camp fire in Cox's Bazar. The aid comes through the Japan Platform, an international emergency humanitarian aid organisation. Also read: $20mn required to respond to urgent needs after Rohingya camps fire: IOM This support will include health and medical care; food, water, sanitation, and shelter assistance, the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka said on Thursday. With this assistance, Japan has contributed $156 million to humanitarian assistance in Cox's Bazar since August 2017. Also read: Maldives sends message of sympathy over Rohingya camp fire On March 22, at least 15 people were killed in a massive fire that swept through Balukahli Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said. Tens of thousands were left homeless in Cox's Bazar after fleeing the blaze. Aid groups estimate that around 40,500 and 50,000 people have been hit hard by the fire. Read EU scales up assistance for fire victims in Cox’s Bazar

The government of South Korea has decided to provide emergency support of US$ 1 million to the International Organization of Migration (IOM) in order to support the humanitarian activities in response to the massive fire that broke out recently at the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. According to international agencies, the fire that broke out on March 22 heavily damaged Camp 9, Camp 8E, and Camp 8W located in Kutupalong Balukhali area, Cox’s Bazar, with approximately 10,100 households destroyed and about 48,000 Rohingya refugees displaced. Also read: $ 20mn required to respond to urgent needs after Rohingya camps fire: IOM The Korean Government’s support will help international humanitarian agencies’ response and recovery activities benefit the most affected and rebuild the destroyed refugee shelters and living facilities, including LPG distribution, latrines, and bathing systems. Since the outbreak of the Rohingya refugee crisis in 2017, the Republic of Korea has been providing annually four to five million US dollars for activities of international humanitarian agencies such as UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM, WFP, and IFRC for responding to the large scale international humanitarian crisis and supporting for Bangladesh host community. Also read: Fire at Rohingya camp caused 'enormous devastation': UNICEF The Embassy of the Republic of Korea said they will continue to make its best effort to address the humanitarian crisis and the ultimate repatriation of Rohingya refugees in close cooperation with the Bangladesh Government and the international community.

The European Union has scaled up its support providing an additional €150,000 for the Rohingyas affected by the massive fire that swept through Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar earlier this month. This follows the initial assistance of €500,000 announced last week as an immediate response to the blaze. Also Read: Rohingya Camp Fire: Australia announces additional $10mn for affected people The aid will directly benefit 27,500 of the most affected people. “The fire has caused many Rohingya refugees, who have lived in displacement in camps over the past three years, to yet again lose almost everything,” said Daniela D'Urso who oversees the EU’s humanitarian response in Bangladesh. “The additional funding from the European Union will ensure our partners on the ground are able to provide essential assistance to those most in need.”  This EU-funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) in delivering much-needed assistance through the distribution of ready-to-eat food packs, hygiene kits and water buckets, to ensure the daily needs of the affected refugees are met during displacement.  The funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF )of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday. Also Read: Rohingya camp fire: 5 killed, hundreds rendered homeless   More than 10 people were killed and nearly 50,000  were affected, including injured and missing refugees, after a huge fire broke out on 22 March in Cox’s Bazar’s crowded Rohingya camp settlements. Following the blaze, a number of facilities, including more than 10,000 homes, hospitals, learning centres, mosques and distribution points, have subsequently been destroyed or heavily damaged.    The European Union together with its Member States is the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.   Through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the European Union helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year. For more information, please visit ECHO's website.  The European Commission has signed a EUR 3 million humanitarian contribution agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF).  The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF.     

A Turkish military cargo plane carrying hospital supplies and 13 volunteers arrived in Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport Friday for refugee camps in Cox's Bazar which shelters thousands of Rohingyas. Wing Commander Farhad Hossain Khan, manager of Shah Amanat International Airport, confirmed this to UNB. Also read: 3 Rohingyas killed in Ukhiya fire Earlier, another Turkish military cargo plane carrying hospital supplies and a field hospital landed in Bangladesh following the March 22 deadly blaze in Cox's Bazar. The fire swept through the Balukhali Rohingya camp in Ukhiya, killing at least 11 people. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11 Also, it turned 9,300 shanties, 136 learning centres and a police barrack into ashes and displaced more than 45,000 people. Aid agencies and the government had started rebuilding shelters after the large scale fire ripped through the camp last month.

BRAC has taken up an initiative for rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees, who have been affected in a fire incident at Rohingya camps in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar district.  Aided by the government, BRAC in coordination with development organisations started food distribution, supply of pure drinking water, construction of shelter and other emergency works at No. 8 and 9 Rohingya camps at Balukhali in Ukhiya. Also read:Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11 On behalf of BRAC, 34,000 liters of water was distributed, 49 deep tube-well and 239 shallow tube-well repaired and 319 latrines repaired for the affected people till March 28, said a press release.  Shahana Hayat, head of operations of Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme HCMP of BRAC, and concerned officials visited the affected camps today (Monday).  Also read:UN releases US$14mn for Rohingyas left homeless by camp fire Hasina Akhter Huq, Area Director of Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC, and other high officials of HCMP, visited the fire affected No. 9 camp on Saturday. Roberts Sila Muthini, acting programme head of HCMP of BRAC; and others also visited the camps on March 24.   During her visit, Hasina Akhter Huq termed the fire incident at Rohingya camp as a big disaster. Aided by the government, BRAC is carrying out its rehabilitation activities at Camp No. 8 and 9 in coordination with other development organizations, she added.   We are carrying out emergency works, including distribution of food and supply of pure drinking water. Besides, we are giving priority to the issue of protection of women and children, she said.  Also read:Maldives sends message of sympathy over Rohingya camp fire United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) sources said, about 126,381 people used to live at three Rohingya camps. Many of them fell to trouble following the fire, which took place at camp No 8W, 8E, 9, and 10 at Balukhali on March 22.

  Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne on Thursday (March 25, 2021) announced an additional $10 million in emergency assistance from the existing humanitarian budget to those affected by the fire at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp. “This funding is in addition to the over $260 million Australia has provided to the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh since 2017,” said Senator Payne. Also read: $ 20mn required to respond to urgent needs after Rohingya camps fire: IOM Their additional support will be provided through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Population Fund. “I am deeply saddened by the news of the devastating fire at Kutupalong Balukali refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. I offer my sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones,” she said in a statement. The impact on over 120,000 people and the extensive damage to food distribution centres, health clinics, learning centres and essential facilities is of great concern to Australia and the international community, said the Australian Minister. Also read: Maldives sends message of sympathy over Rohingya camp fire She commended the response of the government of Bangladesh and Rohingya volunteers who assisted with bringing the fire under control and the initial rescue operation, and the humanitarian agencies delivering food assistance, emergency shelter, and water and sanitation services for those affected. “Australia is committed to sustaining our humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar,” she said. Also read: Australia working closely with Bangladesh: Marise Payne

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has sent a message of sympathy to his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen, MP, following the devastating fire that blazed through the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar recently. “I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news of the massive fire that swept through the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar on Monday, causing loss of lives, destroying homes, and displacing thousands of refugees," he said on Wednesday. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11 The government and the people of the Maldives, joined him in conveying their profound sympathy and condolences to the government and the people of Bangladesh, and the Rohingyas directly impacted by this tragic incident, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Humanitarian community calls for compassion "I sincerely hope that the efforts of the response teams continue swiftly and successfully, and wish speedy recovery for those affected by this calamity," the message reads.

Those involved in the blaze at the Balukhali Rohingya camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar would be brought under the law, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said during a brief stopover at a Rohingya camp in Ukhia on Wednesday afternoon. An investigation committee has been formed. They will investigate and submit a report to the government. If any misconduct or negligence found in the report government will take necessary steps. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Death toll climbs to 11 The minister said the government had no plans to relocate those who had lost their homes in the fire to Bhasanchar. No Rohingya will be forcibly taken to Bhasanchar. However, Bhasan Char is now a much developed place. If the people, who have lost home by fire, want to go there government must take them there. Also read: Fire at Rohingya camp caused 'enormous devastation': UNICEF He mentioned that the first step of the government is to send the Rohingyas back to their country Myanmar. Bangladesh hopes that the world community will play a role in sending the Rohingya back to their Myanmar. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan arrived at the Rohingya camp by helicopter at afternoon. He visited the fire affected Rohingya camps and distributed clothes to the affected. Later he spoke to the affected Rohingyas in Balukhali camp. The minister expressed his sorrow over the blaze and assured assistance to all the victims. Also read: Rohingya camp fire: Humanitarian community calls for compassion On March 22, 11 Rohingyas were killed in a devastating fire at five Rohingya camps in Balukhali of Ukhia upazila. About 10,000 were burned and 45 thousand Rohingyas lost their houses.