by Hafizur Rahman
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | July 13, 2026
Rohingya human rights activist Razia Sultana has called for independent investigations and greater accountability following the deadly landslide in Camp 5, Ukhiya, that killed five Rohingya refugees and injured eight others.
According to an official memorandum issued by the Camp-in-Charge (CiC) Office of Camp 5 on July 8, the landslide struck Block A-3 at approximately 2:10 p.m. Emergency responders brought the situation under control by around 5:30 p.m.
The CiC Office confirmed that five people lost their lives in the incident. They were identified as Rasheda, Omaicha Bibi, Umme Nazat, Umme Salma, and Shahida. The memorandum also said that eight injured people were receiving treatment at hospitals and primary health centres following the disaster.
In a statement released a day later, Razia Sultana said the tragedy was not solely the result of heavy rainfall but also reflected years of inadequate disaster risk management in the refugee camps.
She argued that the hillside had been identified as a high-risk area in United Nations hazard maps in 2019, yet measures such as slope stabilization, drainage improvements, and relocation of vulnerable structures were not fully implemented.
Razia Sultana said similar landslides have occurred almost every monsoon season since 2018, claiming they have killed more than 100 Rohingya refugees. She also alleged that despite repeated disasters, no senior officials have been held accountable and Rohingya refugees continue to have limited participation in decisions affecting camp management and disaster preparedness.
Her statement criticized camp authorities, United Nations agencies, international and national humanitarian organizations, donor governments, and site management agencies, arguing that preventable disasters have continued despite years of humanitarian operations. She also raised concerns about transparency in humanitarian funding and questioned whether available resources have been used effectively to reduce disaster risks.
The statement further referred to reports of financial mismanagement within the humanitarian response, saying they had raised broader concerns about accountability and the delivery of assistance to Rohingya communities.
While acknowledging UNHCR’s announcement that global fashion company Inditex will contribute €13 million between 2026 and 2028 to strengthen climate resilience and improve safety in the refugee camps, Razia Sultana argued that resilience projects alone are insufficient if known high-risk locations are not addressed before disasters occur.
She also criticized the Myanmar military, the Arakan Army (AA), ASEAN, the United Nations Security Council, Malaysia, and the wider international community, saying international efforts have failed to create conditions for the safe, voluntary, dignified, and rights-based return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
According to the statement, Rohingya refugees have remained largely excluded from major decisions affecting camp governance, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian planning throughout nearly nine years of displacement.
Razia Sultana concluded by calling for independent investigations into preventable landslide deaths, accountability for failures to act on known hazard risks, greater Rohingya representation in camp governance, increased transparency in humanitarian funding, stronger disaster preparedness measures, and renewed international efforts to ensure the safe, voluntary, dignified, and rights-based return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
