BuzzFeed News has been sent video footage of flooding destroying Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
The footage, sent by Rohingya activist and blogger Ro Nay San Lwin from the Kutupalong and Balukhali refugee camps, show people wading through flood waters and homes filled with dirty water.
Lwin has been closely following the Rohingya crisis and regularly tweets and blogs about it.
Similar footage showing damaged homes, landslides, and people fleeing flooded areas has been shared across social media by other activists and aid workers.
Drainage canals and reinforced shelters holding for now in #Rohingya @Refugees settlement, but many shelters will require repair and flooding risks are high. UNHCR has pre-positioned thousands of post-disaster response shelter repair kits throughout the settlements. @UNHCR_BGD https://t.co/f4dj10xGbc
"Just brace ourselves. And pray!" Five consecutive heavy raining days in the world's largest makeshift camps. What #Rohingya refugees worried for is happening on in eyes. Landslides, flood, destroyed shelters #SaveTheRohingya https://t.co/cblX32hpdb
This week saw the first deaths due to the start of the monsoon season. Some people inside the camps are claiming that at least a dozen people have already died from landslides, while media reports have recorded a death count of at least three.
Flood and landslide in #Rohingya refugee camp
The start of monsoon season in Bangladesh has many worried that flooding will bring fresh troubles to the thousands living across Cox's Bazar.
Thousands of #Rohingyas living in tents and makeshift houses on the hills and slopes are vulnerable to landslides as heavy monsoon rains batter the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar. https://t.co/8VySpqqPGo
UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Edouard Beigbeder released a statement on Thursday, saying that a huge number of those settled in the region will be affected by the coming rainy season.
“Thousands of children and their families are living in shelters on hilly areas with no trees, rocks or shrubs to hold sandy ground – much of which has now turned into mud - as the rains continue and the water table rises rapidly," he said. "“It’s vital that refugees in the most vulnerable locations are able to move to safer locations, but many families – who have already faced upheavals several times over the last few months – are reluctant to abandon their makeshift homes.”
It is estimated that nearly 700,000 Rohingya have traveled to the southeastern region of Bangladesh since last August to escape persecution in Myanmar.
There are also fears that flood waters will bring disease into the camps and damage, making it difficult to deliver food and medicine and to treat those injured in landslides.
Monsoon season is now hitting the world's largest #refugee camp. 700k+ #rohingya trapped in flood-prone areas. Shelters flooded and destroyed. Disease spreading. A cyclone is likely. Refugees not allowed to move or build more permanent shelters. Aid groups already underfunded.
Images and videos from the camps spurred people on social media to encourage others to pay attention to the Rohingya again.
inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. 12 more confirmed deaths in rohingya camps following heavy monsoon rains. The 12 were crushed following severe landslides in the overcrowded camps💔. ongoing support is urgently needed.
Rohingya Camps right now. Believe me, the #Rohingya desperately need shelter material to protect themselves from monsoon winds + rain. donations have never been more needed. We'll distribute 10 tonnes of aid today. Please donate your zakat/sadaqah https://t.co/vY8QHBIxeZ https://t.co/scYiUsuyuL
It is estimated that nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have traveled to southeastern Bangladesh since last August to escape persecution in Myanmar.
.@IOMBangladesh staff is working on relocating #Rohingya refugees to safer grounds after heavy rains in Cox’s Bazar: