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Bangladesh

Bangladesh Refugee Emergency: Monsoon Emergency Flash Update #1 (27 July 2018)

Situation Report
Source
Posted
Originally published

Situation Overview

  • Heavy rains from 23-25 July 2018 triggered landslides and flooding throughout Cox’s Bazar district. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 463mm of rainfall in under 24 hours on 25 July—the second highest recorded rainfall in one day for the district.

  • Nearly 60 incidents of landslides, winds, floods, and waterlogging reported in all settlements by the InterSector Coordination Group (ISCG) 2 on 25-26 July 2018, with 445 shelters damaged.

  • Floods and landslides damaged major road access to settlement in Ukhiya and Teknaf sub-districts, including parts of Marine Drive and Ukhiya-Teknaf highway linking Cox’s Bazar to settlements in both subdistricts, and the arterial road (“Army Road”)’ connecting Kutupalong in the north and Balukhali in the south.

  • Blocked access and damaged infrastructure restrict aid distribution and movement of personnel.

  • No reported settlements fatalities thus far. However, landslides in the morning of 25 July killed five local children, according to Cox’s Bazar police.

UNHCR and Partners Response

  • The Site Management Engineering Project (SMEP) — a joint engineering project of UNHCR, IOM, and WFP, has been working since 25 July evening to repair Army Road to maintain access to settlement for aid delivery.

  • 174 families were temporarily relocated to safer areas on 25-26 July, mainly from Chakmarkul and Camp 6 in Kutupalong.

  • 52 families were permanently relocated in Chakmarkul from landslide risk shelters to a safer site built by the Sultanate of Oman where emergency latrines are being installed and post disaster kits are being distributed.

  • 15 families were preemptively relocated in Kutupalong from high landslide risk shelters to prepared land on Camp 4 Extension.

  • Protection staff continue to monitor settlement in Ukhiya and Teknaf. UNHCR is on the ground with all partners, Campsin-Charge (CiCs), and the refugee community to identify those in need of relocation, extremely vulnerable persons, and those with specific needs. 262 protection volunteers from the refugee community (COMs) actively participated in the Emergency Response by ensuring coverage and addressing the needs at community and individual levels with a focus on those with specific needs. In some cases, they accompanied Shelter partners and referred cases directly to them.

  • Refugees in high landslide risk areas are being provided counselling and support to relocate to community structures identified as emergency evacuation shelters: community centres, mosques, madrassas, temporary learning centres, and child-friendly spaces.

  • UNHCR received the report of four Protection Rapid Response Units (PERU) from Solidarités International and UNHCR deployed to various locations in Teknaf to assess needs on the ground, as part of an inter-agency protection response coordinated by the Protection Sector Working Group.

  • Food is provided to relocated refugees, in cooperation with WFP and partners, including Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Technical Assistance Inc. (TAI). A total of 149 sleeping mats and 107 plastic sheets were distributed among 256 families in different settlement.

  • UNHCR’s WASH Emergency Response Teams also conducted rapid assessments in affected settlement to identify damaged latrines and other WASH facilities.

  • 30,000 post-disaster kits for host communities have been allocated for distribution based on needs, with the first 200 slated for hand over to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Cox’s Bazar on 27 July.

Government of Bangladesh Response

Bangladesh activated Emergency Control Rooms (ERC) on 25 July at the DC’s office in Cox’s Bazar and the Upazila Executive Officer’s office in Ukhiya and Teknaf. The DC leads the joint coordination mechanism at the district and sub-district levels, together with the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the Armed Forces Division (AFD), and international humanitarian organizations in Cox’s Bazar under ISCG coordination. The first meeting following ERC activation agreed on response priorities:

  • The Site Management Sector would identify households at high risk of floods and landslides in need of urgent relocation and conduct a survey of community facilities to assess temporary relocation capacity.

  • WASH, Food Security, and Health Sectors will ensure immediate support to relocated people.

  • Routine activities at learning centres are suspended until further notice to facilitate temporary relocation.

  • All child-friendly spaces, women centres, learning centres, and possibly mosques, will remain ready for use as potential communal shelters in case of an emergency evacuation.

  • 32 members of the Army Disaster Management team put on alert; those deployed in settlement are on 24/7 duty.

CONTACTS:
Dalal Al Sharhan, Reporting Officer, UNHCR Bangladesh, sharhand@unhcr.org
Mai Hosoi, External Relations Officer, UNHCR Bangladesh, hosoi@unhcr.org

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