WEB DESK
The United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) has extended emergency support to more than 12,000 Rohingya refugees whose shelters were gutted in a devastating fire on Saturday. Expressing sympathy for the refugees, UNICEF representative in Bangladesh Sheldon Yett said that 6000 children affected by the fire which destroyed close to 6000 shelters of Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar area, urgently need emergency support. He commended UNICEF and its partners who worked throughout the night to protect and support traumatised children and their families in the refugee camp.
Two mobile medical units have been deployed to provide emergency medical aid to the injured children and adults. At the same time, children are receiving psychosocial support with special attention to those who may have been separated from their families in the chaos, said UNICEF in a statement on Monday.
The full extent of the damage is being assessed, but according to initial reports the fire destroyed 2,000 shelters and a large number of facilities that provide critical services to refugee children and their families. Among these are over 20 learning centres, at least one nutrition centre, and several sanitation facilities.
UNICEF’s next priority is to repair and rebuild these facilities so that children can continue their education and will receive essential healthcare, nutrition and sanitation services, said the statement.