Over 448 Rohingya Families Lost Everything Again in Minutes in Camp-16 Fire

Report by Md Zubair

The people watching the fire on the roof shelter, photo by Ro Alfas Khan

COX’S BAZAR, BANGLADESH – In the early hours of 20 January 2026, a catastrophic fire tore through Camp-16 (Shafiullah Khata), leaving hundreds of Rohingya refugee families homeless and traumatized. The blaze, which began around 2:00 AM, reduced nearly 448 shelters to smoldering ruins before it was finally contained by fire services and brave camp volunteers at 5:30 AM.

The fire reportedly started from a gas stove in the Shobullah Khata camp. Fueled by winter winds and the camp’s dense layout of bamboo and tarpaulin structures, the flames moved with "terrifying speed."

The victim bring out some kitchen items and watching their shelters burning, photo by Ro Harez Khan

"I watched helplessly as homes, schools, and mosques were swallowed by fire," said one witness. Families were forced to flee into the darkness, carrying nothing but their children and elderly relatives. For many, like a resident named Yasmin, the loss was total: "Everything we worked for, everything that represented our lives, was lost in minutes."

According to preliminary assessments from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and local authorities, the impact is devastating. There are 448 shelters burnt in total. Additionally, 10 learning Centers, two mosques and one religious seminaries (Moktob).

While no fatalities have been reported, the humanitarian toll is high. Fire victims are suffering from minor burns, smoke inhalation, and profound emotional trauma. Children, already vulnerable in the current cold season, are left shivering without blankets or adequate clothing.

This incident is the latest in a string of fires to hit the world's largest refugee settlement. In last December 28, 2025, fires were reported in Camp-24 and destroyed 40 shelters including other infrastructures. The ongoing safety risks are night fire incidents, overcrowding shelters, flammable building materials, and a lack of fire-prevention infrastructure which make these disasters almost inevitable without systemic change.

"Each new fire leaves the community traumatized, vulnerable, and unstable." said one victim.

Families ran in fear, holding their children and helping elderly relatives by leaving all their belongings. It is hard to escape from camp fire due to the narrow paths, dark and crowded. For most people, especially, there was nothing to take. Everything they owned and worked for was destroyed within minutes, said Yasmin, one of the fire victims. The cries of women and children filled the night as fear and sadness spread through the camp.

The woman is sitting in her burning shelter, photo by Md Zubair

Hundreds of families were left with nothing: no home, no food, no clothing, no household items, no learning materials, and no personal documents. For these refugees, who have already endured unimaginable hardship, these losses were catastrophic. Though thankfully no deaths were reported,

"I saw people suffering from minor burns, smoke inhalation, injuries sustained while escaping, and profound emotional trauma. Children, already shivering in the cold season, were visibly shaken, many inconsolable after witnessing the fire consume everything around them," stated Md Zubair.

Fire service teams and camp volunteers worked hard to stop the fire, while community members helped children, elderly people, and others escape. However, the narrow paths and crowded shelters made it difficult to control the fire quickly, increasing the suffering.

From what I saw, the camps remain very unsafe. Fires keep happening because the shelters are overcrowded, made of flammable materials, and people lack safe cooking options and fire-prevention tools. After each fire, families are left traumatized and in urgent need of food, clean water, clothing, blankets, and materials to rebuild shelters.

I urge NGOs and camp authorities to act immediately. The camps urgently need more water points, fire extinguishers, sand buckets, clear spaces between shelters, and regular fire-safety training. At the same time, families need emergency food, clean drinking water, blankets, and bamboo and tarpaulin to rebuild temporary shelters. As the smoke clears, the people of Camp-16 face a long and uncertain recovery, once again losing the little they had managed to rebuild in exile.