Qatar Charity (QC), with the support of benefactors in Qatar, has started rebuilding 537 homes for Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, which were completely burnt down due to the fire that broke out in the refugee camp in March.
The homes are being constructed at the Kutupalong Camp of Cox's Bazar in accordance with the design approved by the Commissioner Office for Refugees, Relief, and Repatriation (RRRC) of the Government of Bangladesh. According to the design, each bamboo-made house has two living rooms to accommodate a family of six members.
Mohamed Shamsuddoha, a RRRC official, thanked Qatar Charity for helping the vulnerable Rohingya communities while visiting their homes, appreciating Qatar Charity’s continued humanitarian efforts for the Rohingya refugees. He said nearly 50,000 Rohingya refugees were left homeless due to the devastating fire, indicating that various international humanitarian organisations, including IOM and Qatar Charity, have recently started rebuilding the homes. He hoped that the construction work will be completed soon and the sufferings of Rohingyas will be reduced.
Many refugees affected by the fire expressed their happiness with this humanitarian work, which restored their hope for a dignified life. “When our house caught fire, we, a family of three, had to live in another camp,” said Nur Hasina, a Rohingya refugee who got a house built by QC. “We are extremely delighted to have this new house.”
"My family, which consists of nine members, is one of the thousands of families that became homeless due to the horrific fire that occurred in March," said Mohamed Siddiq, thanking QC for rebuilding a new home for his family.
The 55-year-old Amin Mohamed, who received a new house from Qatar Charity, told that one of his relatives died in that fire and he was lucky to have survived. “After I became homeless, I spent so many days in the house of one of my neighbours.”
An estimated 50,000 Rohingya refugees lost their shelters and belongings in the fire which devastated parts of the Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, and destroyed more than 9,500 shelters. Refugees who lost their shelters were temporarily accommodated within the camp.
The fire also destroyed more than 1,600 important infrastructure facilities vital for daily operations, including hospitals, learning centres, aid distribution points, and registration and reception centres. Qatar Charity has earlier distributed relief aid to 4,000 fire-affected Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. The aid included clothes, safe drinking water, and free medical services.