Homelessness is already a difficult situation Rohingya’s were expecting when they left Myanmar. After receiving shelter in Bangladesh, sad news broke through the Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp on January 10, 2022 as a strange fire leaves 720 Rohingya children homeless again, Save the Children reported.
For the last four years since the barbaric Myanmar government began their genocidal mission, Rohingyas’ have considered Cox Bazar camp as their new homes. However, this raving fire consumed and destroyed 300 shelters in the 1 million people camp.
Save the Children added more details by saying an estimated 1,500 people are homeless, including 750 children. Graciously, only two people were reported injured with no information concerning deads. Regarding education, some four temporary learning centres have now become ashes. This calls for humanitaran aid to support rebuild these centres.
Reporting as a witnessand victim, Shamsuddin, 70, said: “During the fire, I was asleep. Suddenly my wife pulled me out of my room and rushed far from the burning shelters. We had less than a minute to respond, so we couldn’t save any of our goods. Since last night sitting here in the cold, we have had no food, except a cup of hot water provided by some aid agencies. We need shelter and food right now.”
Commenting on the sad incident, Save the Children’s acting Country Director in Bangladesh, Dr Shamim Jahan, said: “Just 10 days into 2022, and this is already the second fire of the year. Yet again, thousands of Rohingya refugees have watched what little they had left reduced to wreckage. These camps were supposed to be safe for refugees who fled their homes in Myanmar over four years ago.
Adding more recommendations, Dr Shamim said “The government of Bangladesh only allows shelters to be built using temporary materials like bamboo, which are incredibly flammable. Fire-resistant materials should be permitted and used when constructing shelters. The risk of fires in these extremely densely populated and confined areas is enormous, and disasters like this can be especially frightening for children. Ultimately, this incident shows yet again that children do not belong in refugee camps.”
Reports have it that over a 100 fires left Rohingya’s more helpless in the first seven months of 2021 alone. The most devastating in March 2021, swept through 10,000 shelters killing 15 people and increasing the trauma for mostly Rohingya children making them streeties.
The concern for the past repeating itself for innocent children is inevitable as these fire incidents continue. Those children can only reflect on the depressing memories of how their homes were set ablaze in Myanmar before they were forced to flee.
Adding more light, a survey conducted by Save the Children staff in August 2021 confirmed about 73% of children had traumatic experiences in Myanmar when talking about more recent events in the camps, including fires.
In their protective mission, Save the Children is providing first aid and psychological support to distressed children. They are also working to identify lost children and reunite them with their families.
The call for the Myanmar government to stop this merciless genocide is a endless demand until the Rohingya’s can freely return to their homeland.
There is also need for the Bangladesh government to permit fire-resistant materials to be used to construct camp houses especially for the sake of the children.
Now is the time for the world to continue to condemn the injustice committed against Rohingyas’ by their own governement.
Humanitarian partners and philantrophic corporations/ people should not be silent. This is the perfect opportunity to support with rebuilding home-like shelters for vulnerable children.
Sarah is an international law expert. She is passionately interested in advocating for peace by promoting the rights of refugees. In a bit to condemn conflicts and propose durable solutions, she is detemined to outcry the plights of vulnerable people around the world especially children.
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