Floods in Bangladesh sweeping Rohingya camps, displaced by thousands

Days of torrential rain devastated Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, demolishing homes and forcing thousands to live in collective shelters or with members of their extended families.

In just 24 hours, up until Wednesday, more than 30 centimeters of rain fell on the fields of Cox’s Bazar, which are home to more than 800,000 Rohingya, UNHCR said.

This amount of water is about half the average rainfall in July, and it has fallen in only one day, while more abundant rains are expected in the next few days. The monsoon period in this region extends for the next three months.

Bangladesh, floods engulf the Rohingya refugee camp

Bangladesh, floods engulf the Rohingya refugee camp

“The situation is further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the commission said. “There is currently a strict general closure in response to the increase in cases in all over the country “.

UNHCR added that it is saddened by the deaths of six people in the camps earlier this week, five of them in a landslide caused by rain, and a child swept away by floodwaters.

And the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cited early reports confirming that more than 12,000 refugees have been affected by torrential rains, while an estimated 2,500 shelters have been damaged or destroyed.

UNHCR also stated in a statement that more than 5,000 refugees have been temporarily relocated in other shelters or community facilities.

For their part, the refugees said they had difficulty eating and drinking in proper way. “Since it has rained for the past four days, my house is now full of water,” said Khadija Begum, a mother of five. “We can’t even eat.” He added that he feared his children would drown and die in their sleep.

Cyclones, heavy monsoon rains, floods, landslides and other natural hazards are an annual nuisance in the fields in Bangladesh.

A landslide in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh

A landslide in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh

More than 700,000 Rohingya live in refugee camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, when the Myanmar army began a brutal crackdown on the Muslim ethnic group following an insurgent offensive.

The crackdown included rape, killings and the burning of thousands of homes, which international rights groups and the United Nations have described as ethnic cleansing.

While Bangladesh and Myanmar have tried to organize the repatriation of refugees, the Rohingya fear returning home.

International Organization for Migration says Cox’s Bazar, home to more than one million Rohingya refugees, is one of the most disaster prone areas in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is permeated by numerous rivers that regularly receive heavy rains due to the monsoon climate and location in the Bay of Bengal, where warm waters can generate devastating tropical cyclones.

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