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WFP and partners step up to provide rapid food assistance to Rohingya refugees affected by fire in the camps


Cox’s Bazar – Thousands of people have become homeless and are exposed to food

insecurity after fire broke out in the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp on Monday.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners are distributing hot meals

for up to 60,000 displaced and affected Rohingya. Additionally, WFP has distributed 15,000

cartons of high-energy biscuits to affected families, including affected members of the host

community.

Aided by its extensive network of food assistance sites across the camps, prepositioned

stocks, and close partnerships with Bangladeshi retailers and local businesses in Cox’s Bazar,

WFP’s rapid food response will scale up to meet the needs of all affected families in the

coming days.

“WFP is absolutely devastated to see the destruction in the Rohingya camps,” said Sheila

Grudem, Senior Emergency Coordinator for WFP in Cox’s Bazar. “Despite the challenges, WFP

is rapidly deploying food assistance in large part thanks to the partnerships we have forged,

from national retailers to local hotels and restaurants and of course our humanitarian

partners on the ground. It is with thanks to them that Rohingya families have a warm meal

tonight.”

WFP is part of a team of first responders from the government, UN agencies and

humanitarian partners. As immediate response, WFP’s Engineering, field operations and

General Food Assistance teams have been on the ground since the fire was first reported. In

addition to that, WFP deployed light and heavy machinery, including water tanks, and Site

Maintenance and Engineering Project (SMEP) team volunteers to assist in containing the fire

and to support the site management agencies.

At least 10,000 shelters were destroyed according to initial assessments. Two WFP nutrition

centres, one General Food Distribution point and two WFP Fresh Food Corners were also

burnt to the ground. WFP has closed two other nutrition sites and an e-voucher outlet until

teams on the ground can assess the damage to the sites.