At least five dead as massive fire destroys thousands of homes in Bangladesh Rohingya refugee camps

CNN ^ | March 23, 2021 | Rebecca Wright, Mitchell McCluskey and Salman Saeed,

[BenLurkin]

A fire swept through a sprawling Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Monday, killing at least five people, destroying homes and endangering the lives of tens of thousands of refugees, camp officials said.

The fire destroyed at least 3,000 shelters as it tore through the camp, Rashedul Islam, an official in charge of Kutupalong refugee camp, said Tuesday.

Fire services, Bangladesh's Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, and rescue and response teams remained at the scene on Monday evening, where they continued to try to control the fire and prevent its further spread, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said late Monday afternoon local time.

António Vitorino, Director General of the UN's International Organization of Migration (IOM), said "tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees are affected."

Images from witnesses showed a massive blaze consuming huts and scores of refugees fleeing on foot. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

Monday's blaze marks the largest of multiple fires that have plagued the camp this year alone, Onno Van Manen, the country director for Save the Children in Bangladesh said.

Estimates of the number of Rohingya refugees living in Cox's Bazar range from 800,000 to more than 900,000, according to the UNHCR and Save the Children.

In 2016 and 2017, Myanmar's military launched a brutal campaign of killing and arson that forced more than 740,000 Rohingya minority people to flee into neighboring Bangladesh, prompting a genocide case to be heard at the International Court of Justice.

Myanmar denies the genocide accusations, and maintains the "clearance operations" by the military were legitimate counter-terrorism measures.

[sauropod]

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[BobL]

“In 2016 and 2017, Myanmar’s military launched a brutal campaign of killing and arson that forced more than 740,000 Rohingya minority people to flee into neighboring Bangladesh, prompting a genocide case to be heard at the International Court of Justice. “

I guess the definition of ‘genocide’ depends on what the NY Times (or CNN, in this case) wants it to be. If it was a REAL genocide, they wouldn’t have made it Bangladesh.

[csvset]

Bangladesh? They should hold a rock concert for them or something.

[arthurus]

I recall this whole Rohingya story startd with reports that the Moslem interlopers in N Burma were raiding Burmese villages and killing villagers. That was reported as if it was just something that was happening in a faraway place and of not real consequence. When the locals started fighting back it became RACISM and when troops entered the fray it became GENOCIDE. Genocide is the inconveniencing of Moslem population groups. When Moslems slaughter people, either in nightclubs or with jihadist armies it is isolated acts of disturbed individuals and groups and RACIST to be concerned about it.

[dfwgator]

Now there will be calls for the EU and the US to take them in.

[liberalh8ter]

Workplace violence, don't forget the workplace violence!

[BenLurkin]

[BobL]

Damn, excellent write-up!