Human Rights Watch Urges Action on Rohingya Refugee Camp Dangers After Deadly Landslides

Deadly landslides in July, which claimed the lives of at least 17 Rohingya refugees and displaced over 3,000 people, have underscored the perilous conditions faced by refugees in Bangladesh, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The rights group stated that Bangladesh has hosted over a million Rohingya refugees for nearly a decade. Many families reside in makeshift shelters on steep, deforested hillsides highly susceptible to monsoon-related disasters. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has repeatedly warned of the risks posed by overcrowded camps to deadly cyclones, floods, and landslides, especially with ongoing arrivals from Myanmar.

HRW is calling on Bangladeshi authorities, the UN, and international donors to take urgent action. Their demands include reducing congestion within the camps and reinstating funding for essential infrastructure such as embankments, drainage systems, access roads, and emergency relocation sites. "Every monsoon is becoming increasingly deadly for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with denuded hills sliding away under makeshift structures, as the funding to buttress the camps has dried up," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW. She emphasized that these are not merely natural disasters but predictable consequences of policies that endanger refugees' lives.

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Every monsoon is becoming increasingly deadly for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with denuded hills sliding away under makeshift structures, as the funding to buttress the camps has dried up.

Data from the Rohingya Coordination Platform indicates that between July 4 and July 9, 26,119 refugees were affected by 286 weather-related incidents in the Cox's Bazar camps. These included 95 landslides that displaced 4,307 people, damaged 2,809 shelters, and destroyed 13. Critical facilities like learning centers, sanitation, water systems, and pathways also suffered damage. Although Bangladeshi authorities relocated over 1,000 refugees from high-risk zones, many were reluctant to leave their homes.

Interviews conducted by HRW with refugees and humanitarian workers revealed systemic issues. A civil engineer noted that the camps' design was flawed from the outset, with hills cut and drainage systems neglected. Funding cuts have hampered essential landslide-prevention work, such as proper brickwork, while the Bangladesh government prohibits permanent construction within the camps. Newly arriving refugees face heightened risks as they are often denied formal shelters and forced to find unsafe accommodations, as evidenced by one refugee's account of losing family members after being unable to secure a proper shelter.

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These are not simply natural disasters, but a predictable outcome of policies that put refugees’ lives at risk.