Dear John,

I am writing to let you know about a massive and devastating fire which broke out in a part of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh over the weekend.

The extent of the fire damage is vast: 12,000 Rohingya refugees have been displaced, with more than 3,000 shelters damaged or destroyed. More than 90 community buildings including hospitals and schools have also been damaged.

Thankfully, no deaths have been reported — UNHCR, in support of the ongoing response led by the Bangladeshi authorities and in coordination our partners as well as refugee volunteers, is rushing to provide critical support and protection to Rohingya refugees. We have begun our emergency identification process to ensure that all refugees are accounted for and to reunite family members that may have been separated during the blaze.

UNHCR-trained Rohingya Refugee Safety Unit volunteers were the first on the scene to respond — with the help of mobile firefighting units provided by UNHCR, they were able to keep the fire contained until local firefighter teams arrived and the blaze was put out. We are truly grateful for their heroic efforts.

We are still assessing the full extent of the damage, but we know that many families have lost their entire home and possessions in the blaze and may face additional trauma from this experience. Please, can you provide urgent relief to Rohingya refugee families now?

With gratitute,

Yoko Akasaka
UNHCR Head of Operations, Cox's Bazar