The situation in overcrowded refugee camps near the Bangladeshi town of Cox's Bazar is in risk of going from bad to worse following the confirmation of the first COVID-19 cases among the Rohingya and the local population, the public relations adviser for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Asia-Pacific told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th May, 2020) The situation in overcrowded refugee camps near the Bangladeshi town of Cox's Bazar is in risk of going from bad to worse following the confirmation of the first COVID-19 cases among the Rohingya and the local population, the public relations adviser for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Asia-Pacific told Sputnik.
Last week, two of the first cases of infection were confirmed in Cox's Bazar - one involves a Rohingya refugee, and the other a local resident. As of Monday, 197 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the town, including seven Rohingya, local media reported. One person has died of coronavirus-related complications.
"The first cases in the camps, as well as in prisons, is an alarming sign, adding another layer of vulnerability. We fear that the situation can go only from bad to worse," Pawel Krzysiek said.
The ICRC official explained that the areas around Cox's Bazar are "more densely populated than the most crowded cities on earth, with 60,000 to 90,000 people jammed into each square kilometer." It is common that a dozen people share one small shelter, the same water well and toilet. The closest hospital with an intensive care unit is located in the town itself.
"The first COVID-19 positive case in the camps has made the situation more critical and worrying. People who have been displaced by Rakhine Crisis are particularly vulnerable, Their temporary accommodation or camps are crowded, often with inadequate sanitation and shelter or little access to medical care and good nutrition," he stated.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement sees it as a priority to retain its operational capacity to respond to the people in need amid the outbreak, adapting its humanitarian response.
"As the risk of transmission is increasing, we are committed to continuing to support the health structures in Cox's Bazar, Teknaf, Ukhiya, Ramu, Nayapara and Tumbru for the displaced communities from Rakhine and host communities. We are reinforcing our support to the emergency department of the Sadar Hospital, district's main health facility," Krzysiek said.
The ICRC, in particular, is helping the facilities with COVID-19 screening and personal protective equipment for their staff. The Red Cross is also conducting information campaigns on hygiene amid the epidemic, both for the displaced people in Cox's Bazar and the host communities, the official added.
According to the United Nations, some 860,000 refugees live in Cox's Bazar, most of whom are ethnic Rohingya Muslims that were forced to flee their homes in neighboring Myanmar amid an army offensive in August 2017. The Myanmar authorities launched an unprecedented violence campaign against the Rohingya after militants, allegedly from this minority group, carried out attacks on police posts in the country's northwestern state of Rakhine.
