Recent incidents in two Rohingya camps have raised renewed concerns over the safety of slopes, retaining structures and community facilities during the monsoon season.
by Hafizur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar, 20 August 2026: A deadly landslide in Camp 5 and a separate guide wall collapse in Camp 14 have renewed concerns over infrastructure and slope safety across the Rohingya refugee camps.
This report follows Rohingya Khobor’s earlier coverage of the July 8 landslide at a girls’ madrasa in Camp 5 and includes additional information gathered on a separate incident in Camp 14 three days earlier.
Five Killed in Camp 5 Landslide
Five Rohingya girls were killed and eight others injured after a landslide struck the Khadijatul Kubra Women’s Madrasa and Hifzkhana in the Irani Hill area of Camp 5 on July 8.
More than 30 female students were reportedly inside the Hifz section of the madrasa when part of the hillside collapsed onto the structure.
Rohingya residents and volunteers immediately joined rescue efforts, digging through mud and debris before emergency responders arrived.
Initial reports said eight people had died. Authorities later revised the figure to five deaths and eight injuries, explaining that some casualties had been counted more than once during the rescue operation.
The five deceased were identified as Rasheda Begum, 13; Umme Nejatul, 13; Umme Salma, 12; Umaicha Bibi, 13; and Shahida, 13.
Umme Nejatul and Umme Salma were sisters from Camp 3.
The tragedy came only two days after separate landslides in Camps 7, 11 and 15 killed eight Rohingya refugees, including women and children.
The Camp 5 incident has raised concerns over the safety of madrasas, learning centres, shelters and other community facilities located close to unstable slopes.
Mother and Two Daughters Injured in Camp 14
In a separate incident, a Rohingya mother and her two young daughters were injured after a guide wall collapsed near their shelter in Camp 14 on July 5.
According to information gathered by Rohingya Khobor during follow-up reporting, the injured were Sajida, a mother of five, and her daughters Shefa and Shafia.
The incident occurred at around 11:00 a.m. in Block A, Sub-block A03.
Sajida was washing clothes near the family shelter while her daughters were playing nearby when the wall suddenly collapsed on them, according to community sources.
The mother and her daughters received treatment at an MSF health facility and later received follow-up assistance.
Community and site-management sources told Rohingya Khobor that the guide wall had originally been constructed by the International Organization for Migration and was reconstructed following the collapse.
The affected family also received assistance to repair parts of its shelter, according to the information gathered during the follow-up.
The exact cause of the wall collapse has not been independently established.
Residents said there was no heavy rainfall or visible soil movement in the immediate area at the time of the incident, leaving questions over what caused the structure to fail.
The incident has prompted concern among residents about the condition and regular inspection of guide walls, drainage structures and other infrastructure located close to shelters.
Risks Extend Beyond Major Landslides
The two incidents highlight different but related risks faced by Rohingya families living in densely populated camps.
While major landslides can bury shelters and community facilities within seconds, failures of retaining walls, drainage systems and other structures can also cause serious injuries, particularly where homes and pathways are built close to steep slopes.
For many Rohingya families, avoiding such areas is difficult because of severe space constraints inside the camps.
The Camp 5 deaths and Camp 14 injuries have therefore renewed calls within the community for regular inspection of slopes and infrastructure, improved drainage, faster repair of damaged structures and relocation of particularly vulnerable shelters and community facilities where possible.
As monsoon conditions continue, residents say prevention needs to receive the same attention as emergency response after a disaster has already occurred.
