As Cyclone Mocha takes aim at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh preparing to protect Rohingya refugees

Rohingya shelters made of bamboo, and tin and polythene sheets are on the potential path of the cyclone gaining strength over the Bay of Bengal

Moinul Hoque Chowdhurybdnews24.com
Published : 11 May 2023, 09:30 PM
Updated : 11 May 2023, 09:30 PM

Nearly 1 million Rohingya who fled persecution and brutal military crackdown in Myanmar to take refuge in Bangladesh are at risk of losing their shelters made of bamboo, and tin and polythene sheets as they are on the potential path of a huge storm brewing over the Bay of Bengal.

As the Cyclone Mocha takes aim at Cox’s Bazar, authorities in Bangladesh have scrambled to save the locals, as well as the refugees, from the damage expected to be caused by the storm, which will hit the coasts as a “superstorm” with a wind speed of 180-220 kilometres per hour on Sunday afternoon.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department asked the seaports to hoist warning signal No. 2, asking all fishing boats and trawlers to remain close to the coast, as the storm intensified further and turned into a severe cyclone on Thursday night.

“If the storm crosses Teknaf with this much wind speed, we fear it will cause damage to the temporary shelters,” said Enamur Rahman, state minister for disaster management and relief.

Although he is hopeful about keeping casualties at zero with “little chances of storm surge and hills slowing the wind”, Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman is not ruling out flash floods or landslides being induced by heavy rains under the influence of the cyclone.

“In that case, we’ve planned to relocate the refugees from places vulnerable to landslides.”

As many as 3,300 volunteers in the 33 refugee camps, including 26 in Ukhiya and seven in Teknaf, are ready to work in coordination with government and non-government organisations, according to him.

According to the government and UN’s agency for refugees, 52 percent of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are children and 4 percent are elderly.

Abu Sufian, head of the Leda camp in Teknaf, said the Red Crescent Society, law-enforcing agencies, and NGO workers held meetings with them over the situation. “Everyone is being alerted. Landslides will put the lives of a huge number of refugees at risk. Fear has spread among those residing in the risky hills.”

Refugee Commissioner Mizanur said the authorities were not thinking about evacuating the refugees to storm shelters made to save people from storm surge. “We don’t foresee the possibility of storm surge in the camps.”

In case of flash floods, the refugees will be taken to community centres of the camps, said Shamsud Douza, additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner.

Troops from the Ramu Cantonment, the Armed Police Battalion, police, the fire service and the district administration will help the refugees tackle the situation, he said.

Shamsud Douza said they held meetings to prepare for the storm and took steps to arrange dry and cooked food for the Rohingya. “We’ll provide help, if necessary, to rebuild shelters or repair roads.”

If the shelters are blown away by the storm, the refugees may take shelter in the schools near the camps. “We’ve requested the district administration to open the schools, if need be.”

Muhammad Shaheen Imran, head of Cox’s Bazar district administration, said they were ready to provide any help necessary.

Refugee Commissioner Mizanur said they met on Thursday morning with representatives of the UNHCR, WFP, police, Border Guard Bangladesh and the army.

All holidays and leaves of the employees of the fire service and his office have been cancelled.

Shaheen Imran said 576 storm shelters in the district will be able to house at least 500,000 locals.

The government has initially allocated Tk 2 million and 590 tonnes of rice for them. Dry food and tablets to purify water have been stocked.

[Additional reporting by Cox’s Bazar Correspondent Sankar Barua Rumi and Teknaf Correspondent Jashim Mahmud]