Calls for support are heightened as monsoon rains are predicted to intensify in the coming weeks.
After escaping persecution in Myanmar, the Rohingya people now experience a second emergency in the face of the monsoon’s wrath.
Over 48,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh are in need of crucial help after relentless rain and winds in the past two weeks left their shelters damaged and destroyed. Landslides and floods damaged around 600 shelters in Cox’s Bazaar, the largest refugee settlement in the world.
While live-saving responses are continuously deployed, continued emergency assistance remains critical for the Rohingya refugees who have lost so much to conflict, and now to natural calamity.
Delivering quick responses, improving disaster preparedness
UNHCR staff, partners, and trained volunteers are tirelessly delivering much needed-support. On ground, first responders work around the clock to save the lives of those affected including victims who are trapped by landslides.
Lessons from the field and from past emergencies helped improve disaster risk management and preparedness. This led to efforts in mitigating monsoon-related risks in coordination with partner agencies on the ground.
Together with partners, UNHCR built 29.9 km of drainage and 15.2 km of retaining structures on hillsides to prevent flooding. Road infrastructure work was also accomplished to aid faster delivery of life-saving assistance. About 3.5km of road, 19.2km of paths, 10.9 km of steps, and 108 bridges were constructed in Cox’s Bazaar and other settlement sites.
UNHCR and partners also distributed around 90,000 pre-monsoon kits to refugee households. Meanwhile, 100,000 post-disaster kits are being prepared for distribution to those directly affected by landslides and flooding. More than 80,000 refugees were reached in community-led awareness sessions on emergency preparedness, while 1,200 refugees volunteered for training as emergency responders.
Critical life-saving assistance urgently needed
In the coming days, UNHCR and partners on ground will remain on high alert as the monsoon is predicted to further worsen. As of July, over 2,100 people whose shelters suffered substantial damage have been relocated temporarily.
Additional emergency response teams are also ready for deployment to provide life-saving assistance to storm victims in anticipation of the worsening unpredictable weather.
As such, UNHCR’s life-saving assistance to the monsoon-stricken Rohingyas will be intensified tenfold. Support through donations is urgently critical to facilitate increased response to the growing needs of Rohingya refugees and host communities.
To further help Rohingya refugees endure the calamity, please click to donate for an additional one-time gift.
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