At 1:00 am on 7 January 2024, a massive and devastating fire broke out in Camp 5, a UNHCR-managed camp in Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Some 900 households were affected, comprising around 5,000 refugees, including 3,500 children. Due to lack of access roads in the area, strong winds and scarcity of water in the dry winter season, it took several hours for first responders — mainly refugee volunteers trained in fire response — to reach the area and extinguish the flames. More than 900 shelters were damaged or fully destroyed. Streetlights, WASH facilities, learning centres and other facilities were also damaged. Many households lost their belongings, including identification documents — if not by fire then theft in aftermath of the disaster. Alternative safe shelters and facilities were immediately made available to displaced families whose shelters were lost in the fire. Most families, however, continue to shelter with relatives and neighbours. Some have set up makeshift tents in the f