Monsoon Havoc in Rohingya Camps: Nearly 2,000 Shelters Damaged, IOM Mobilizes Emergency Response

By: Camp Correspondent

Cox’s Bazar, 6 June 2025
Relentless monsoon rains accompanied by gusty winds have wreaked havoc across the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, damaging over 1,900 shelters and affecting nearly 16,000 residents under the management of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Landslides, flooded pathways, and crumbling infrastructure have left many families displaced and in urgent need of support.

According to IOM officials, 14 refugees have been injured, and many more are at risk as blocked access roads and overloaded drainage systems delay recovery.

“The destruction we’re witnessing is deeply concerning, especially in an already fragile environment,” said Amy Pope, Director General of IOM. “Our teams and volunteers are working around the clock to ensure safety and deliver life-saving assistance.”

Relief on the Ground: Local Volunteers Lead the Way

IOM, in coordination with Bangladeshi authorities and humanitarian partners under the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), has launched a large-scale emergency response. Over 1,400 community disaster management volunteers and 300 additional responders have been mobilized to assist with evacuation, relocation, and damage assessment.

Nearly 5,000 Rohingya refugees are now engaged in cash-for-work activities, helping to:

• Clear debris and fallen trees
• Unblock nearly 10,000 meters of drainage
• Stabilize over 13,500 square meters of eroded hillside using tarpaulins
• Reopen crucial camp pathways

Essential Aid and Temporary Shelter Provided

IOM and its partners have begun distributing emergency shelter kits to the most severely affected families, while technical teams are repairing homes, particularly for the elderly, thedisabled, and single-parent households. Water and sanitation facilities are also being restored, and displaced families are receiving hot meals and shelter in temporary communal spaces.

Though the intensity of the rain has reduced slightly, intermittent showers continue to disrupt operations and threaten further damage. Humanitarian workers warn that without urgent donor support, the response efforts may fall short as the monsoon season intensifies.

A Call for Support Before the Peak

With peak monsoon months still ahead, the situation remains precarious. Aid agencies have urged the global community not to turn away. The lives of thousands, already displaced and vulnerable, now hang in the balance as they face nature’s fury atop the trauma of forced displacement.

“This is not just a weather crisis—it is a human crisis,” said a camp volunteer from Camp 17. “We need help, and we need it fast.”