QRCS in multi-sector response to Bangladesh refugee camp fire
Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) said it immediately responded to the recent big fire at Myanmar refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh.
In co-operation with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), QRCS’ representation mission in Bangladesh distributed emergency aid to 126 families, or 630 people, affected by the disaster.
These distributions included one-month food parcels, hygiene kits, kitchenware and other items. Currently, the mission is preparing to distribute 5,000 food parcels among 1,000 families, in partnership with the Turkish Red Crescent, QRCS has said in a statement. The fire damaged shelters, public facilities and infrastructure, leaving thousands of lives at risk. It started in Block D of Camp W8, and due to the strong wind, quickly spread to camps E8, W8, W9 and W10.
A large number of shelters and shops were destroyed, let alone health, community, education, services and aid centres, the statement noted. The fire resulted in 11 reported deaths, 563 injuries, 9,508 damaged shelters and 45,122 affected people. A total of 3,800 families were evacuated to other camps. There are around 1,500 Red Crescent personnel and community health volunteers deployed to assist the victims, fix tents and distribute food and non-food items. Even though partially damaged by the fire, the health centre operated by
QRCS in Camp E8 has served more than 40 patients and injured persons.
An emergency intervention plan is in progress, with the following activities: building 75 medium-term shelters as Phase 1 (pending the selection of location); building 200 medium-term shelters as Phase 2, distributing 2,000 packs of non-food items, distributing 2,500 parcels of dried and fresh food items (in co-operation with the Turkish Red Crescent), and continuing to operate and support BDRCS’ health centres with medications and first aid supplies (in co-operation with the Turkish, Swiss, Japanese and Canadian national societies).