Save the Children 'deeply distressed' that five Rohingya refugees killed in heavy rain and landslides in Cox's Bazar

Responding to today’s heavy rainfall and landslides in Cox’s Bazar that have killed at least five people including three children, Onno van Manen, Country Director of Save the Children Bangladesh, said:

‘We are deeply distressed by the news that five Rohingya refugees, including three children, have died after heavy monsoon rains triggered landslides in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps on Tuesday. Two of the three children were killed when a rain-soaked hill collapsed on top of their shelter, burying them underneath.

‘On top of these deaths, the heavy rains have damaged hundreds of temporary shelters, forcing exhausted families to seek shelter in mosques and schools. Save the Children is very concerned for their safety, health and wellbeing as well as that of all of the approximately half a million children living in the camps.

‘Our teams are closely monitoring the situation and ready to work with the refugees to repair the damaged structures. But this is not enough. Today’s severe rainfall and flooding in Cox’s Bazar shows yet again how vulnerable Rohingya refugees, and especially children, are to the impacts of climate change. Camps like these are no place for children to live and grow up. The international community must come up with a long-term political solution.’

For more information or media requests please contact:

• Emily Wight, Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org;
• Charlotte Rose, Charlotte.Rose@savethechildren.org;
• Out of hours (BST), media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409

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