COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh: A fire broke out at the UNHCR-CNRS Skill Development Centre located in Block B-6 of Camp 4, near the Camp 4 Extension CIC office, in the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox's Bazar on Friday.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Authorities confirmed the blaze has been brought under control. No casualty figures were immediately available.
The affected centre is operated by the Centre for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS), a Bangladesh-registered non-governmental organization that has been working in the Rohingya refugee-affected areas of Cox's Bazar since the large-scale influx began in 2017. CNRS operates across diverse sectors in the camps of Teknaf and Ukhiya upazila under Cox's Bazar district, with financial and operational support from UNHCR.
The centre provides vocational and skill development training to Rohingya refugees, including courses in Solar Panel Installation, Small Engine Mechanics, Caregiving, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The programmes are part of a broader UNHCR-led effort to equip refugees with practical skills to support self-reliance and prepare for eventual return to Myanmar.
Since 2022, some 8,000 young people living in the Cox's Bazar camps have taken part in such training programmes, which are among the few opportunities for growth available to youth in these sprawling camps, home to some one million Rohingya refugees. [pressreader](https://www.pressreader.com/malaysia/the-star-malaysia/20181221/281870119545659)
Fires are a recurring threat across Cox's Bazar's densely packed refugee settlements. More than half of the displaced population are women and girls, living in precarious conditions in overcrowded, temporary shelters that are highly vulnerable to climate shocks, including cyclones, fires, and landslides. [Human Rights Watch](https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/24/un-expert-reports-myanmars-raging-fire-brutality)
An investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to be conducted. The Daily East is following the story and will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
