Border News Agency
Cox’s Bazar, June 23, 2025
Continuous and unrelenting rainfall over the past several days has triggered widespread flooding across the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, displacing thousands of people and creating a humanitarian crisis. Multiple sectors within the camps have been severely affected, with reports of landslides worsening the already dire situation.
According to local sources and community volunteers, the flooding has struck nearly every corner of the refugee camps, particularly low-lying areas such as Camp 5, Camp 7, Camp 9, and Camp 15, where families have lost their shelters, personal belongings, and access to clean water and food. In some areas, shelters made of bamboo and tarpaulin have collapsed entirely under the pressure of rain and mud, leaving families with no protection from the harsh weather.
Residents say the floods began following days of nonstop heavy rain, and with poor drainage systems, the water has accumulated rapidly, turning pathways into muddy rivers and making movement extremely difficult. The ongoing landslides have not only damaged shelters but also blocked vital roads and passageways, cutting off parts of the camps from emergency responders and aid distribution points.
“Everything is soaked. Our shelter collapsed last night. We couldn’t save anything, not even dry clothes or food for our children,” said Fatima Begum, a mother of five living in Camp 9. “We are staying in a neighbor’s shelter, but it’s too crowded and water is leaking from the roof.”
Many Rohingya refugees, already struggling with daily survival due to restricted movement, limited access to work, and heavy dependence on humanitarian aid, now face an added layer of difficulty. The floodwaters have damaged essential facilities including toilets, tube wells, learning centers, and child-friendly spaces. As a result, the risk of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and skin infections is growing rapidly, especially among children and the elderly.
Community-based emergency teams have been mobilized by both NGOs and the Rohingya community to help evacuate affected families, provide emergency food supplies, and create temporary safe spaces. However, due to the scale of the disaster and the continuous rainfall, the response remains limited and insufficient.
“The shelters were already fragile. The rain has made everything worse. We are doing our best, but we need more support from the government, the UN, and international agencies,” said Mohammed Rafiq, a Rohingya youth volunteer from Camp 15.
The flooding comes during the annual monsoon season, which has long posed a serious threat to the nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded and exposed conditions in southern Bangladesh. Despite years of preparedness planning, the camps remain highly vulnerable to natural disasters due to limited infrastructure, deforestation, and dense population.
Local authorities, along with the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) and humanitarian partners, are currently assessing the scale of the damage and planning coordinated relief efforts. There is an urgent need for shelter repair kits, dry food, clean water, medical supplies, and relocation support for the most affected families.
As the rains continue, there are growing calls for long-term solutions to prevent such annual disasters from becoming worse. These include improved drainage systems, better shelter designs, relocation of high-risk families, and the inclusion of the Rohingya community in disaster planning and decision-making.
