Rohingya Camp Fire Displaces Thousands in Cox’s Bazar as Aid Groups Mount Emergency Response

Overview

• An early Tuesday blaze in Camp 16 displaced more than 2,000 people, with firefighters bringing the fire under control in about three hours.
• Damage tallies vary, with the Norwegian Refugee Council reporting 335 shelters destroyed and 72 damaged, while IOM says more than 400 shelters were damaged.
• No fatalities have been reported, only minor injuries, and severe damage hit over 160 WASH facilities, 11 learning centres, two mosques, and hillside drainage and access routes.
• IOM, WFP, and partners deployed health teams, ambulances, and emergency aid including food, shelter materials, blankets, mats, mosquito nets, and solar lights, and cleared debris within 24 hours to restore access.
• The cause remains under investigation as agencies urge urgent funding after 2025 cuts halted 50,000 planned semi-permanent shelters, citing thousands of camp fires since 2018.