On Sunday 5th March another fire ravaged the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp, leaving 12,000 people without shelter.

Cox’s Bazar, in south east Bangladesh, is the largest refugee camp in the world with over one million residents. Last year, between January 2021 and December 2022, there were 222 fires in the Cox’s Bazar camps. Most of the inhabitants in the camps are Rohingya refugees who have fled genocide in Myanmar.

Rushanara Ali MP, Chair of the APPG on Rights of Rohingya, says:

“It is truly devastating to hear the news of another fire causing destruction through Cox’s Bazar. My thoughts are with all those affected and the many people who have lost their homes.

The refugees in the camp have already suffered unimaginable hardship. This fire is not a standalone incident but another blow in a series of fires that have caused serious damage, destroyed homes and added to the ongoing suffering of those already in a desperate situation. The overcrowded camps have made it all too easy for fires to rapidly spread. 

In 2021, the UK Government cut humanitarian aid to the Rohingya by more than 40% and despite a funding increase in 2022, aid spending is still significantly below pre-cut levels. The aid cuts have had devastating consequences for what are some of the most vulnerable people in the world.”