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What happened, where and when?
The massive fire that occurred on 5 March 2023, was considered one of the major incidents that caused significant impacts on the displaced people from Rakhine temporarily living across the camp settlements in Cox's Bazar. Due to several factors such as humidity, temperature, wind direction and intensity, and the type of materials used for shelters, the fire immediately spread through the shelters and other critical infrastructures within the three (3) blocks in Camp 11.
Through the collective efforts of the government, represented by the Office of Refugee Repatriation and Relief Commissioner (RRRC), the Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD), and the humanitarian community, represented by the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) jointly led by IOM, its partner agencies, and BDRCS, the fire was managed and suppressed. Additionally, existing preparedness and response capacities and mechanisms in place within the camp became one of the contributing factors that somehow enabled the control of further impacts and damages to lives, properties, and critical infrastructures if such capacities and mechanisms were not in place.
With the existing response readiness capacities that BDRCS currently has in Cox's Bazar, supported by IFRC and its RCRC in-country movement partners, and in close coordination and collaboration with the Office of the Camp in Charge, Site Management Sector (SMS), BDRCS was able to immediately activate its emergency contingencies and mobilized all its volunteers and staff to respond and provide immediate emergency relief assistance in accordance with its recognized roles as Shelter/NFI Focal lead agency and Water Supply lead agency in Camp 11. It is also worth noting that these efforts would not have been successful without the support of other external agencies, including IOM and its partners, who jointly complemented the provision of other Shelter and Essential household items to complete the standard package, especially during the initial phase of the response supported by this IFRC-DREF response.