Warning of massive health crisis in Bangladesh refugee camps

“The crisis facing 800,000 refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazaar today is alarming, but we’re on the brink of a large-scale health catastrophe if the situation isn’t turned around,” warned Benedicte Giæver, Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment roster, NORCAP.

Giæver has just visited Kutupalong, the world’s most densely populated refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. The camp houses more than 600,000 refugees from Myanmar, the majority of whom fled to Cox’s Bazar after violence escalated in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in August. Refugees who stayed in the area before the latest influx have also been moved to the camps, bringing the total number of people sheltering there to over 800,000.

"A population equivalent to the entire country of Bhutan is squeezed together in an area of about eight square kilometres. Tents are placed dangerously tightly together, jeopardising the health of hundreds of thousands of people,” said Giæver.

The rapid growth of the camps means that toilets and water sources were quickly constructed and not spaced out, enabling any disease outbreak to spread like wildfire.

“I’ve seen sewage flowing freely through the camps. Disease outbreak is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. Children are drinking filthy water and parents are using stagnant water to wash kids.” “We are facing the deadly prospect of a massive cholera or diarrhoea breakout if the situation isn’t turned around. The Bangladesh government has been incredibly welcoming to people seeking safety within its borders. Local communities have also show tremendous hospitality, welcoming refugees with open arms. But we in the international aid system have failed to do enough because of the circumstances on the ground. We must step up our efforts,” warned Giæver.

NORCAP has sent 17 aid experts to various UN organisations in Cox's Bazar to respond to the emergency. Their work includes constructing latrines and clean water supplies, providing children with education and helping survivors of rape and sexual violence. Several staff are responsible for preparing camps for the rainy season and planning new settlements.

"We are discussing whether to build on higher ground to accommodate everyone. Currently, the danger of mudslides is too high for it to be done. But we must work before the monsoon rains arrive next May. It's difficult to know how long the crisis will last and how many more people will arrive. People still cross the border every day, the total number varies from day to day,” said Giæver.

NORCAP’s director is also concerned about the children affected by the crisis. Many have lost their parents and other family members. Around 6,000 children have to take care of younger siblings. "It's difficult to see so many orphans. People here feel powerless. This is a population that felt marginalized in Myanmar, and now they live in horrific conditions in Bangladesh. There is a desperate atmosphere in the camps, where capacity is far stretched and the needs enormous,” Giæver said.

Note to editors
• NRC has spokespeople available for interview in English and Norwegian.
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For more information, please contact:
In Oslo Ida Sem Fossvik, NORCAP
Communications Adviser
[email protected]
+47 936 30 982

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