By Hafizur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | 6 July 2026
At least eight Rohingya refugees, including women and children, were killed in three separate landslides after heavy rainfall hit the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, during the early hours of Monday.
The first landslide occurred at around 1:10 a.m. in Block D/6 of Zamtoli Camp 15, where a hillside collapsed onto the shelter of Mohammad Kamal Hossain (44). He, his wife Humaira Begum (39), and their four-year-old son Mohammad Anas (4) were killed. Rohingya Emergency Recuse team rushed to the scene after receiving the report and recovered three bodies while rescuing two injured people.
Just 35 minutes later, another landslide struck Block D/7 of Kutupalong Camp 7, killing Ekram (7), the son of Mohammad Rashid, after his family’s shelter was buried by soil. Enayet Ullah, Camp Majhi of Kutupalong Camp 7, said: “After receiving the news, Rohingya volunteers recovered the body of the child from the collapsed shelter.”
“We couldn’t sleep because the rain kept getting heavier. Suddenly, the hillside collapsed, and people started screaming. We lost our neighbours within minutes.” Said by a father of two children.
The third and deadliest landslide happened at around 3:00 a.m. in Block C/11 of Balukhali Camp 11. Four members of the Rohingya community were killed, and one person was injured. The victims were identified as Umme Habiba (27), daughter of Abdur Razzaq; her sister Tanjina Akter (13); and two young brothers, Mohammad Rihan (5) and Harunur Rashid (3), sons of Mohammad Rashid.
“Every monsoon we live in fear. We know our shelter is on dangerous ground, but we have nowhere else to go. We just pray our families survive each night.” A Rohingya Youth told.
The tragedy came after continuous heavy rain soaked the camps throughout the day and night. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) station in Cox’s Bazar, 150 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours ending at 12:00 a.m. The rainfall has significantly increased the risk of landslides in the densely populated refugee camps, where many shelters are built on steep and unstable hillsides.
Sowyed Ullah, Elected President of United Council of Rohingya “We are deeply saddened by the deaths of seven Rohingya, including women and children. The side-protection structures built by IOM were intended to protect lives, but this tragic incident has raised serious concerns within our community. We urge IOM to conduct an immediate and transparent investigation, review the safety of all similar structures across the camps, and take urgent corrective measures to ensure no more lives are lost.”
The Emergency Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPR WG) warned that people living in landslide-prone and other high-risk areas should temporarily move to Emergency Communal Relocation Centres (ECRCs) until weather conditions improve. The group said the precaution is necessary to protect lives and reduce the risk of injuries and damage from possible landslides.
Ukhiya Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Panna Akter said the local administration has been making regular loudspeaker announcements, urging families in dangerous areas to move to safer places. She called on residents to follow official safety instructions as heavy rainfall is expected to continue.
Assistant Meteorologist Md. Abdul Hannan said the heavy rain is being caused by a well-marked low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal together with an active monsoon. He added that heavy rainfall is likely to continue for at least the next two days, keeping the risk of further landslides high across the Rohingya refugee camps.
Humanitarian agencies and emergency responders remain on alert as thousands of Rohingya families continue to live in shelters vulnerable to landslides during the monsoon season.
