Cyclone damages Rohingya camp at Cox’s Bazar

Press release15 May 2023

Rescuers clearing a road near Cox's Bazar after Cyclone Mocha. Photo: Concern Worldwide

Cyclone Mocha, which battered the Bangladesh and Myanmar coasts yesterday, damaged nutrition centres, a stabilisation facility for sick children and bamboo shelters in the camp for almost one million displaced Rohingya people at Cox’s Bazar.

Concern’s team spent today assessing the damage and planning repairs in the wake of one of the strongest storms to hit the region in 20 years.

“Four of the 11 nutrition centres in the part of the camp which Concern manages including a stabilisation centre for sick children and 74 shelters have been damaged,” MD Iqbal, Concern’s Humanitarian Programme Advisor said.

“We are fortunate that the camp did not bear the full impact of the cyclone as many of the bamboo structures are not designed to withstand winds that strong.”

Bangladeshi communities in the wider Cox’s Bazar area were also counting the cost of the cyclone today. Three schools and 1,820 shelters were damaged. Over 6,700 gardens and a banana yard with 10,000 trees were destroyed.

Concern’s team provided 2,860 hot meals to families sheltering from the cyclone on Saturday and yesterday and is ready to distribute dry food supplies to 1,500 households in the area in the coming days.

For media queries contact Eamon Timmins, Media Relations Manager, Concern Worldwide, at eamon.timmins@concern.net or 087 9880524