Latest fire in Kutupalong destroys over 400 homes and kills three children

For the sixth and seventh time this year, two fires have swept through the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh. Destroying 400 homes and leaving thousands without shelter. The recent fire in Kutupalong has also taken three young lives, who are as yet unidentified. 

UPDATE JUNE 2022: CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY TO REBUILD CLASSROOMS DESTROYED IN THE FIRES

The fires in March destroyed four of our learning centres which are now being rebuilt. Construction is underway and the builders are making good progress. The children are currently learning inside temporary structures and will move into their new classrooms very soon.

Construction begins on the new classrooms

Temporary classrooms were quickly put up after the fires

One new classroom nearly complete

A view over the temporary classrooms in Kutupalong camp

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The first fire (the sixth this year) started on Tuesday 8th March and gutted most of the Camp 5 area, where three of the Learning Centres run by Children on the Edge are situated. All three were quickly reduced to ashes, along with the homes of our three night guards, three teachers and scores of students. 

As the fire spread to Camp 6, black smoke billowed above burning shelters as people tried to rescue belongings and escape the flames.  After sustained effort from the fire services the blaze was brought under control, but not before it wreaked massive devastation for thousands Rohingya refugee residents. ​

The fire spread quickly through the densely packed camp on Tuesday morning.

On Friday 11th March, a second fire in the space of a week also broke out in camp 4, destroying a fourth Learning Centre and around eight homes. This was the seventh fire this year. Staff in the camp told us that thankfully there were no casualties

With closely packed shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin, the whole area is highly flammable. Programme Manager in Cox’s Bazar, Sudeb Rudra said, “Having repeated fires time and time again is not a good sign, authorities should take protective action. As summer comes and the weather heats up, there will only be more harm done”. 

Our team of Project Officers assess the damage.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Rebeka Khatun spoke to us directly from the camp saying “The teachers are devastated as they had been working with the children over the last few months to renovate and decorate the Learning Centres ready for reopening after the latest Covid related closures. All their work is in ashes and even children’s bags destroyed”. 

The sixth fire in the Kutupalong camp this year has left thousands without shelter.

Children on the Edge supports 75 Learning Centres in the camp, so in the immediate days after the fire several of our other schools adjusted their schedules to accommodate the affected students.

Thanks to help from Save the Children, a week after the fire, some temporary tents were set up for the children to continue their learning while the Learning Centres are rebuilt. An engineer has visited the sites of the centres so reconstruction can begin soon.

Temporary classrooms will be used for lessons until the Learning Centres are rebuilt

READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK IN KUTUPALONG >>