Preparing Rohingya shelters for monsoon rains

When Rohingya refugees were forced to flee Myanmar, there was little time to plan the location or construction of shelters. Desperate to escape horrific violence, refugees arrived exhausted, hungry and sick. Since August 2017, approximately 647,000 people have found safety in Bangladesh.

But the coming monsoon season brings new challenges to providing shelter to the Rohingya refugees. “We have a huge amount of work to do. Before the monsoon comes, we need to move as many people as possible to higher ground, and keep providing shelter kits,” notes Richard Evans, a shelter specialist with UNHCR in Bangladesh.

The challenge to prepare so many shelters is immense and the danger of heavy rain gets closer every day. At the same time, UNHCR is working to improve access to medical care and provide adequate water and sanitation. Thanks to donor support, the UN Refugee Agency is providing kits to build stronger, more reliable structures, and, where possible, relocating families to more stable ground.

Here’s how you can help…

The UN Refugee Agency is on the ground helping Rohingya families, but this work is only possible with donor support. Make your emergency gift today — together, we can save lives.