Deadly monsoon landslides in Bangladesh’s overcrowded Rohingya camps have killed at least 17 refugees, exposing chronic vulnerabilities from deforestation, congestion, and funding shortfalls that turn predictable rains into preventable tragedies.
Heavy monsoon rains in early July 2026 triggered multiple landslides across Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, killing at least 17 people, many of them children, and displacing thousands. The incidents, occurring between July 4 and 9, highlight the lethal combination of precarious hillside settlements, overcrowding, and inadequate disaster mitigation in the world’s largest refugee camp complex.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported the deaths and urged donors and authorities to address root causes. Rescuers recovered victims from buried bamboo-and-tarp shelters after hillsides collapsed, with additional fatalities reported in subsequent days, including at a madrasa where students and a teacher died.
Overcrowded Camps on Unstable Hillsides
Bangladesh hosts over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, most in congested camps spanning about 24 square kilometres in Cox’s Bazar. Many live on steep, deforested hillsides cleared for makeshift shelters upon arrival, particularly since the 2017 mass exodus from Myanmar. New arrivals fleeing renewed fighting since late 2023 – over 152,000 since November 2023 – have worsened overcrowding, with many forced into informal, high-risk spots.
A water, sanitation, and hygiene engineer interviewed by HRW criticized the initial camp design: hills were cut without adequate drainage, and funding shortages now prevent proper brickwork for stabilization. Bangladesh’s policy against permanent structures further limits resilience.
One Rohingya man who arrived in 2024 lost two daughters and two grandchildren when his makeshift shelter on a hill edge collapsed on July 6. He had repeatedly sought formal shelter but was told none were available for newcomers.
Weather Incidents and Humanitarian Impact
The Rohingya Coordination Platform documented 286 weather-related incidents from July 4-9, including 95 landslides that displaced 4,307 people, damaged 2,809 shelters, and destroyed 13. Facilities like learning centres, toilets, water points, retaining walls, and roads were also affected, impacting 26,119 refugees.
Broader flooding and landslides across southeastern Bangladesh killed dozens more, with Cox’s Bazar reporting significant casualties among both refugees and locals. Army and navy teams provided aid amid blocked roads and power outages.
Funding Crisis and Policy Constraints
Humanitarian funding has sharply declined. The Shelter and Camp Coordination appeal is only 42 per cent funded, with a $73.9 million gap, while disaster risk management needs another $23.2 million. Earlier plans for stronger temporary shelters and reconstruction were halted by cuts announced in 2025.
UNHCR has called for additional land to ease congestion, but the Bangladesh government has been reluctant, viewing the camps as temporary and opposing measures seen as enabling permanent settlement. Forest department and host community objections have also stalled safer housing pilots.
Aid workers report challenges in relocating at-risk families due to space shortages and privacy concerns in temporary sites. Many refugees resist moving, fearing loss of their limited shelter amid high demand.
Broader Context of Rohingya Displacement
The Rohingya crisis stems from persecution in Myanmar, with little prospect of safe return. In Bangladesh, refugees face restricted movement, limited livelihoods, and dependence on aid. Recent funding reductions have cut services, exacerbating vulnerabilities during monsoon season, which typically runs until October.
HRW’s Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director, stated: “Every monsoon is becoming increasingly deadly for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh… These are not simply natural disasters, but a predictable outcome of policies that put refugees’ lives at risk.”
Calls for Urgent Action
HRW recommends that Bangladesh authorities, UNHCR, and donors urgently expand relocation sites, fund slope stabilization, drainage, and safer shelters, and address overcrowding. Approved semi-permanent shelter models should proceed despite objections.
The UN and partners emphasise treating shelter safety as a human rights imperative rather than a step toward permanence. Without intervention, further deaths are likely as rains continue.
Ganguly added: “Rohingya refugees won’t benefit from further hand wringing, but by an urgent and effective response. Concerned governments need to act instead of waiting for the next landslide to sweep away another Rohingya family.”
This tragedy underscores the need for sustained international support and policy shifts to protect a vulnerable population trapped in limbo.
