key: cord-0865032-ijj3p1uh
authors: Patwary, Muhammad Mainuddin; Rodriguez-Morales, Alfonso J.
title: Deadly Flood and Landslides amid COVID-19 Crisis: A Public Health Concern for the World’s Largest Refugee Camp in Bangladesh
date: 2022-01-21
journal: Prehospital and disaster medicine
DOI: 10.1017/s1049023x22000164
sha: 2e32a0dea8446fc0506cdaaeae65889eef89b6e2
doc_id: 865032
cord_uid: ijj3p1uh

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leptospirosis, malaria, cholera, gastrointestinal diseases, dermatological disease, and a substantial increase in psychological disorder could appear after flooding, in particular, the area with the poor hygienic condition and population displacement. In addition, direct contact with contaminated floodwater could cause eye and skin infection. Flood events are also responsible for triggering vector-borne diseases in endemic areas. For example, severe flooding in Peru in 2017 was linked with a significant dengue and chikungunya epidemic, with >19,000 dengue cases. 3 Since the severe floods devastated the refugee camp, the unsanitary conditions and risks of water-borne disease transmission, considering hundreds of acute watery diarrhea cases already reported in the camp, could be disastrous for Rohingya refugees. 4 Further, the Rohingya themselves have resisted moving to shelters that exacerbated the crisis due to their concerns about privacy, space, and loss of shelter plots, as well as disease transmission (COVID-19 and diarrhea in particular). However, approximately 5,000 refugee families were temporarily relocated to other community shelters. Thus, evacuating the people in safe places where a lack of maintaining proper social distancing could be another hub of source of SARS-COV-2 infection. Concurrent occurrence of natural disaster and COVID-19 crisis has placed an additional strain on the already fragile health care system in Bangladesh. In this uncertain period, the increasing health demand on an already vulnerable health care system, COVID-19, emerging infections, emerging diseases, and two natural disasters transform the situations into a humanitarian crisis.

Considering the situation, the Government of Bangladesh and the international humanitarian organizations should respond quickly, assertively, and provide life-saving assistance and support to Rohingya refugees. Notably, the floods and the likely COVID-19 comeback should remind us not to give up, strengthen biosecurity measures, and offer social support to the refugee. Although Bangladesh and the international humanitarian community take some initiatives to reduce the immediate impact, this is insufficient. 9 Therefore, the Bangladesh Government, nongovernmental organizations, and the International Humanitarian Community should scale up their efforts to avoid further catastrophe. Under the nation-wide vaccination program, a total of 37,000 Rohingya refugees have been vaccinated util now, which could be a hope for reducing infection. However, natural disasters, lack of space, and permanent shelters remain an issue for refugees. Thus, an integrated action plan is needed and must be implemented immediately to reduce the risk of increased infection and reduce the impact of natural disasters.

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