Hours after the starting of the fire, our phones were flooded with messages and updates of the large, well-organised response at hand by Rohingya and Bangladeshi first responders, ready to support their colleagues for what was at the time an unknown understanding of the scale of injuries and deaths they may be responding to. Our Bangladeshi colleagues – of those we’ve previously trained and continue to stay in touch with – sent supporting messages to each other in our Whatsapp group: “just call if you start sending anyone, we are ready.” I deeply admired and felt very proud of their colleagueship and importantly, courage and moral support.
The Aftermath of the Fire: Words Can’t Explain What We Witnessed
Our team assessed the area the following day to witness the new realities of the residents and workers of the camps. We had just started two large programmes, and one clinic enrolled was no longer an option to use. Words can’t explain what we witnessed in the aftermath. Car access was restricted so we set off on foot to visit our IOM colleagues in Camp 9 and the surrounding area that was severely affected by the fire. The security situation was strict, and there was a bustle of people carrying out widespread activities that my eyes could not take in all at once – people carrying large amounts of bamboo canes, people (many of who were children) searching through the rubble and broken glass – for reasons unknown, but likely attempting to find any remnants of their home, or items to sell or use to rebuild a new home – heavy boxes of aid and cartons of water on people’s shoulders, people sleeping in half-open shops that served as temporary shelters next to piles of clothing still releasing trails of smoke, workers piling up destroyed metal structures that had once served as a house or a shop…
I think what stood out to me most was a small make-shift area that served to assist camp residents to reunite with loved ones. There was a large yellow poster with a hand-written message outlining its purpose. A person with a megaphone was announcing names of people being searched for. A crowd of community members circulated the area waiting anxiously or just there for support or curiosity. A pain in my gut immediately ensued, thinking of my own family members and what that would be like if I needed to search for them with so much uncertainty.
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