UN calls for urgent aid in Rohingya camps hit by Cyclone Mocha

The United Nations on Monday called for urgent aid and support after Cyclone Mocha damaged Rohingya camps.

Cyclone Mocha hit three districts in Bangladesh including the Rohingya camps sheltering over a million Rohingya refugees. Although the cyclone’s effect was lesser than it was apprehended, the refugee camps have been seriously damaged, leaving hundreds in dire need of aid. The UN and humanitarian partners have urged for assistance to tackle the catastrophic situation, according to a press release.

Cyclone Mocha made landfall on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border on Sunday afternoon (14 May), bringing torrential rains, powerful gusts of up to 115 kilometres per hour, and severe damage to the frail infrastructure of Rohingya refugee camps and makeshift shelters. According to preliminary estimates, thousands of people have been impacted, and houses and critical infrastructure have been damaged, particularly in the Rohingya camps in the Teknaf region and neighboring Bangladeshi communities, it said.

The United Nations and its partners, as well as government agencies, are on the ground providing emergency support to affected areas. They are conducting quick assessments. As a result of the destruction of houses and vital facilities, emergency shelter, clean drinking water, food supplies, and access to health and sanitation services are being provided on priority basis.

In close collaboration with the UN and its partners, the government of Bangladesh developed a strong response system and continues to work tirelessly to provide emergency relief to affected communities, including women, children, people with disabilities, and those more vulnerable to various risks, the release also said.

“The preparedness efforts of the humanitarian community, led by the Government of Bangladesh, have saved lives. UN agencies and humanitarian partners prepositioned core relief items in the last week, and mobile medical teams were on standby to assist Bangladeshi and refugee communities,” said Gwyn Lewis, the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh.

“The trail of destruction, with thousands of refugees seeing their shelters destroyed or damaged, requires our urgent response. The UN calls upon donors, NGOs, and individuals to rally in support of all those affected by Cyclone Mocha. Urgent financial contributions and donations of essential relief items are crucial to meet the immediate needs of those affected and to build back better,” said the Resident Coordinator. “We cannot stand idle in the face of this devastating humanitarian crisis.”

The fund for humanitarian needs of the Rohingya is just 16 per cent this year. Food aid has already been reduced by 17 per cent due to funding constraints. The Rohingya refugees have faced unspeakable suffering, with hundreds losing everything in a massive fire just weeks earlier.

Cyclone Mocha has just added to their misery and made it more difficult to deliver life-saving assistance to refugees in Bangladesh, added the release.

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