July 06, 2019
At least 11 Rohingyas were injured and 273 shelters were destroyed during three days of continuous rain in Cox’s Bazar settlements, according to UN Refugee Agency.
More than 900,000 Rohingya refugees, who escaped persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine state since August 2017, are living in the settlements.
An estimated 350mm of rain fell in 72 hours from Monday and more downpours are expected throughout the next week, with four months of the monsoon to go.
According to preliminary reports, there have been 26 landslides, UNHCR said.
Refugee volunteers trained by UNHCR and partners worked throughout the night on Wednesday in heavy rain to help families in urgent need, UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley said at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva yesterday.
“In some cases, this involved rescuing refugees from shelters destroyed by landslides. We have temporarily relocated 2,137 people, either because their shelters suffered substantial damage or as a precaution.”
“Our network of emergency response teams has been mobilised to identify the needs of the most vulnerable and prioritise them for assistance. As an immediate response, pre-positioned emergency supplies are being distributed to help rebuild, repair and strengthen damaged shelters,” Charlie Yaxley said.
In support of the humanitarian response led by the Bangladeshi authorities, UNHCR and partners -- including World Food Programme and UN Migration Agency -- made preparations for the rainy season a priority. The efforts included constructing retaining structures on hillsides, installing drainage, and building roads and bridges.
Besides, reservoirs have also been constructed to hold monsoon rains and stabilise water supplies, he said.
“We remain on high alert, ready to deploy additional emergency response teams to support our network of refugee volunteers and partners as needed,” he also said.
To date, the 2019 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh has received only a third (US$301 million) of the US$920 million that is needed, he said.
More than 900,000 Rohingya refugees, who escaped persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine state since August 2017, are living in the settlements.
An estimated 350mm of rain fell in 72 hours from Monday and more downpours are expected throughout the next week, with four months of the monsoon to go.
According to preliminary reports, there have been 26 landslides, UNHCR said.
Refugee volunteers trained by UNHCR and partners worked throughout the night on Wednesday in heavy rain to help families in urgent need, UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley said at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva yesterday.
“In some cases, this involved rescuing refugees from shelters destroyed by landslides. We have temporarily relocated 2,137 people, either because their shelters suffered substantial damage or as a precaution.”
“Our network of emergency response teams has been mobilised to identify the needs of the most vulnerable and prioritise them for assistance. As an immediate response, pre-positioned emergency supplies are being distributed to help rebuild, repair and strengthen damaged shelters,” Charlie Yaxley said.
In support of the humanitarian response led by the Bangladeshi authorities, UNHCR and partners -- including World Food Programme and UN Migration Agency -- made preparations for the rainy season a priority. The efforts included constructing retaining structures on hillsides, installing drainage, and building roads and bridges.
Besides, reservoirs have also been constructed to hold monsoon rains and stabilise water supplies, he said.
“We remain on high alert, ready to deploy additional emergency response teams to support our network of refugee volunteers and partners as needed,” he also said.
To date, the 2019 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh has received only a third (US$301 million) of the US$920 million that is needed, he said.
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