Some 12,000 Rohingya refugees displaced from Kutupalong camps: UNHCR

Some 12,000 Rohingya refugees have been displaced from the Kutupalong Balukhali refugee camps in Cox's Bazar as a fire burned down some 2,000 shelters on 5 March, says United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Flames blazed for some three hours in Camp 11, which is managed by International Organization for Migration (IOM), until the Rohingya refugee Safety Unit Volunteers trained on firefighting, local fire fighters and local authorities managed to contain the fire, around 5pm.

Over 90 facilities were damaged, which includes hospitals and learning centres, reads a press release of UNHCR.

The press release adds that under the lead of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), humanitarian partners were onsite soon after the onset of the fire to assess the damage and establish a coordinated response. The RRRC, additional RRRC, as well as the deputy commissioner rushed to the camp to provide support.

"Ninety Community Health Workers in Camp 11 and adjacent Camp12 have been deployed to initiate fire response activities, which include providing first aid necessary prior to the referral to the health facility, disseminate do's and don'ts during and after a fire incident, provide psychological first aid, and linking the refugees with other relevant services as required," reads the release.

UNHCR activated the tracking system to ensure identification and provision of necessary support to the fire affected population. This will help family members reunite if they were separated during the incident.