A file photo shows Rohingya refugees shelter from the rain in a camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, September 17, 2017. — Reuters photo

Heavy rainfall in Cox’s Bazar earlier this month put major strain on drainage systems of Rohingya camps, which might lead to life-threatening contamination of clean water supplies and create environments in which deadly diseases might thrive, a United Nation agency warned on Tuesday.
UN migration agency International Organisation for Migration in a statement on the day also said that their engineers predicted that it would cost at least $1 million to clear blocked channels and maintain them to prevent dangerous flooding in future.
Over a million Rohingyas, who fled violence in Myanmar, are now living under tarpaulins on Cox’s Bazar’s crowded, bare, sandy hillsides what has become the world’s largest refugee camp.
‘Efficient canals and drainage systems are crucial to prevent flooding and the build-up of stagnant water, both of which can lead to dangerous and life-threatening contamination of clean water supplies and create environments in which deadly diseases can thrive’ said the statement.
Unusual heavy rainfall in the first half of June filled many canals and drains with sediment, dangerously restricting water flow.
Roads, shelters and services were also affected by the downpours and IOM staff have been working round the clock to assess and repair damage. But according to IOM’s emergency coordinator in Cox’s Bazar, Manuel Pereira, the impact on the canals and drainage system is of particular concern.
‘The extremely heavy rains pushed down large amounts of silt and soil from the hillsides into the canals and drains. There are now areas where water can no longer flow through them,’ he said.
‘It is imperative that we get these cleared as soon as possible. Preventing the spread of large amounts of contaminated water through the camps is a matter of life and death,’ he added.