The refugees found themselves caught between the flames and the camp fence

Tragic stories told by survivors of the Cox's Bazar fires

• The entrance to the Balukhali clinic, run by Doctors Without Borders, was completely destroyed by fire.

  From the source

• The remains of the inside Balukhali clinic.

  From the source

• People inspect their destroyed property in District 9 of the camp.

  From the source

• Teams assess the damage and needs of thousands of refugees whose tents inside the camp were destroyed.

  From the source

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The massive fire in the Cox's Bazar camps left many refugees trapped in the flames and the fence surrounding the area.

This tragic event worsened the mainly poor living conditions of the thousands who lost everything.

In this investigation prepared by the media team of "Doctors Without Borders", on the humanitarian and livelihood effects of the fire on tens of thousands of camp residents, we present a group of stories and sad situations on the words of their owners who are awaiting care and support from the international community.

Fatima's story

“We were a group of about 10 women, and many of us were accompanied by children. We were all screaming and crying. We were not able to climb the fence, and the fire was approaching us.

We tried to cross a hatch under the toilet next to the fence, but it could only accommodate the small children.

"I got the idea to hold my sandals in my hand and try to pull the wires apart, and this is how we finally managed to escape."

This is what Fatima, one of the refugees who had to flee from the flames, said, who destroyed thousands of shelters in Cox's Bazar on March 22nd.

The fence

Many people found themselves caught between the flames and the fence surrounding most of the camps, as the flames approached them.

Fatima added, "The men managed to climb the fence, and some tried to help their female relatives, but most of us faced a very difficult situation, not to mention that our clothes were torn by the barbed wire."

Some of the women had lost parts of their clothes after crossing, which exposed them to embarrassment.

Fatima is one of the Rohingya volunteers in the "Balukhali" clinic, which was completely destroyed by the fire.

Fatima said, "I was in the clinic, and it was about two thirty in the afternoon, when I learned of the fire, which was still far away."

She explained, "But I began to feel fear as it was approaching, and we left the clinic in the end, after we heard the sound of an explosion, and I heard many children crying and calling for their mothers."

She added, “I started looking for some of my relatives who live in the ninth camp (one of the camps most affected by the fire), and I saw their house burning.

The fire was very close, and I jumped into a sewage pit, to save myself. ”

Fatima's ancestor, Begum, was at home with her sister, and her seven-year-old grandson, when the fire broke out.

"The fire was far away at first, and we were not very afraid," Begum said. "But we were very afraid as it was approaching us, and each of us started running in the direction."

Begum managed to cross the fence by sneaking under the barbed wire, which caused her minor ankle injuries.

She finally met her relatives in the market after five hours had passed, but the shelter that was sheltering them had completely disappeared.

Additional fires

The camps witnessed at least two other small fires during the past few weeks. However, this fire destroyed large areas in several camps.

The United Nations estimates that at least 11 people have died, and about 10,000 shelters "housing 45,000 people" have been burned.

The fire also destroyed many health facilities, including the "Balukhali" clinic, which is run by the "Doctors Without Borders" organization, in which it provides a wide range of services that cover more than 30,000 people.

MSF teams have helped dozens of patients who have suffered burns or injuries, some of them from the fence, noting that the team working in the clinic will resume providing health care services within days.

"Now we only got a few bamboo poles, and some plastic sheets and baskets," Begum said, clearly in shock. "But we hope to have other things that will enable us to rebuild our shelter."

Some of its neighbors are slowly returning to the sites on which their shelters were based.

They can't leave it empty for long, so strangers won't occupy it.

Many refugees are staying with their relatives in other parts of the camp.

The United Nations agencies and camp authorities have begun distributing "shelter materials" (some bamboo poles, tarpaulins, and plastic sheeting), so that those who have lost their shelters can build temporary ones.

Some refugees have acquired tents, and some have begun constructing temporary housing, but others cannot afford to pay 1,000 taka (about $ 10) for a package of bamboo poles.

Deterioration

In this context, the director of Doctors Without Borders in Bangladesh, Natalia Torrent, said: “The living conditions in the camp have been gradually deteriorating for more than a year, and this fire that destroyed thousands of shelters showed the precariousness of the refugee situation.

These rudimentary shelters are a temporary solution, but they do not provide people with a decent life and do not give them safety.

It is imperative that the Bangladeshi authorities and the United Nations agencies responsible for managing the camps provide better and more humane living conditions for the refugees.

Another refugee master saw his shelter completely burning. Eight people used to live in that shelter, and today they are scattered with relatives.

Sayed said, "We were lucky, because the fence near our home was witnessing repair work, and on that day in particular, it was devoid of barbed wire, which made it possible for us to easily exit through the hatch, but today it is closed again."

Sayed added, explaining how the fire led to so severe pressure among the refugees that it is difficult for many people to imagine: “The fire gave me the feelings of sorrow that I felt when we had to flee our town, because the fire was chasing us there, and this is what happened here. Also".

• The living conditions in "Cox's Bazar" camp have been gradually deteriorating for more than a year, and this fire showed the fragility of the refugees' conditions.

• The "Cox's Bazar" fire also destroyed many health facilities, including the "Balukhali" clinic, which is run by "Doctors Without Borders" and provides a wide range of services that cover more than 30,000 people.

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