Qatar Charity, with the support of philanthropists in Qatar, has distributed fire extinguishers and first aid boxes to overcrowded Rohingya camps in Bangladesh where frequent fires during the dry season have become a serious concern.
The equipment that was recently distributed to the representatives of different learning centres and mosques in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar will help over 32,000 people to come up with quick responses in case of any fire and to provide primary treatment if anyone suffers burn injuries.
Syduzzaman Chowdhury, camp-In-charge (Camp 21), distributed the fire safety equipment and thanked Qatar Charity for taking timely steps to support the Rohingya community who are at risk of fire.
“The incidence of fires usually increases sharply during the dry season which has already started. The small houses of the Rohingya refugees are made of flammable materials. So, if a fire breaks out in the camp during the dry season, it spreads quickly,” he said.
Syduzzaman said that the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar are located in areas where there is no available source of natural water during the dry season. "So, it is difficult for firefighters to control large-scale fires in Rohingya camps during the dry season."
In such a situation, he said it is necessary to strengthen the alternative fire prevention measures to extinguish the fire at the initial stage. “The most effective method of extinguishing small-scale fires at the initial stage is the use of fire extinguishers. So, I express my gratitude to the Qatar Charity for providing the fire extinguishers and first aid boxes for the Rohingya community,” he said.
Syduzzaman also thanked the Qatar Charity as it trained the representatives of the learning centres and mosque on fire safety practices and the use of fire extinguishers to douse the flame.
Over one million Muslim Rohingya people who fled from Myanmar following a military crackdown against the Rohingya ethnic minority live in what many consider to be among the world’s largest refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Fires are a frequent problem in the camps where Rohingya live in seriously cramped conditions in huts made of flimsy bamboo and thin plastic sheeting. Overcrowded and squalid, these refugee camps are vulnerable to fires.
Qatar Charity has been supporting refugees since the beginning of this crisis by undertaking numerous interventions such as providing food and non-food aid, free healthcare, and rebuilding shelters.
In the last 5 years, about one and a half million refugees benefitted from QC’s interventions.
