Rohingya refugee: Impact of the monsoon and Covid-19 containment measures

Extreme monsoon-induced flooding coupled with prolonged inundation in northeast India, eastern Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar has impacted more than five million people in Bangladesh alone. The Rohingya refugee camps in the south-eastern district of Cox’s Bazar have been largely untouched by this large-scale river flooding. Despite this, the monsoon season continues to impact the Rohingya refugees, with heavy rains and strong winds severely diminishing quality of life. In previous years, the vast majority of shelters and public infrastructure received pre-monsoon support so that they could, to some extent, resist the effects of heavy rainfall and windstorms. However, this year Covid-19 containment measures resulted in a significant reduction in pre-monsoon and monsoon Shelter and Site Development program implementation negatively impacting preparedness and resilience to weather effects.