Deadly Flood and Landslides amid COVID-19 Crisis: A Public Health Concern for the World’s Largest Refugee Camp in Bangladesh

Abstract

Since the beginning of 2020, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)/coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought unprecedented risk to global public health and devastated the global health system. In the absence of an available vaccine, the world has already witnessed multiple waves of this pandemic. Since the first case was recorded there on March 8, 2020, Bangladesh has endured eighteen months of infection without reaching zero cases. The country has hosted one million Rohingya refugees residing in 34 camps in Cox's Bazar district who fled away from Myanmar on August 25, 2017. The highly transmissible Delta strain is causing an infection epidemic throughout Bangladesh. Approximately 20,000 infections and 250 deaths were recorded in Cox's Bazar district, which borders Myanmar and is home to 34 refugee camps. As of September 19, 2021, 3,026 cases were reported, along with 32 reported deaths, representing a crude fatality rate of 1.1% in the Rohingya refugee camp. Numerous factors, including prior sexual assault, inactivity, and substandard living circumstances, with ten or more people per space, make the Rohingya population vulnerable to non-communicable illnesses. In addition, thousands of older people and children live in the area. Many of them suffer from non-communicable and chronic illnesses that render them vulnerable to viruses. Thus, implementing preventive measures (eg, social distance) is difficult for Rohingya refugees living in congested camps (40,000 people per square kilometer). hile the country struggles to cope with the increasing COVID-19 pandemic, the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar is further exacerbated by the negative impact of monsoon weather. The camp experienced over 300mm rainfall from July 27 -August 1, 2021, the highest ever in the last 20 years. 8 Additionally, the Cox's Bazar has experienced over 1300mm of rainfall from July 27 -September 1, 2021; over 200mm just from August 27-28. These days of heavy monsoon rains and strong winds pelted massive refugee sites, causing deadly flash floods and life-threatening landslides. The flood and landslide caused heavy damage to shelters, injured refugees, and impeded aid response by blocking them from accessing camp. As a result, 87,617 refugees were affected, 25,469 displaced, and ten refugees have died in the floods and landslides. In addition, 3,564 refugee shelters were partially damaged, 3,065 severely damaged, 2,489 fully damaged, and 15 were destroyed. The situation has further worsened by the COVID-19 crisis since the country has undergone a nation-wide lockdown to halt the transmission of virus infection.