The Largest Refugee Camp in the World Grapples to Contain the Spread of COVID-19

As the largest refugee camp in the world, with a population of one million, the town of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh has been under lockdown for two months. The BBC just reported that two residents of the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh have tested positive for the COVID-19. They are being treated in isolation, while another 2000 in the camp are being tested. Given the lack of sanitation, barriers to health care, and the sheer number of people in this Rohingya refugee camp, the consequences could be devastating. As physical distancing and home isolation prove impossible in this environment, the spread of coronavirus would be a devastating blow.




According to the International Rescue Committee's Bangladesh country director Manish Agrawal, "The population shares water and hygiene facilities such as toilets, bathing facilities, and water points resulting in long queues and unavoidable unsanitary conditions. There's just not enough soap and water nor space for them to follow proper guidelines to protect themselves from the disease." The disease is attacking the most vulnerable, at a time where help and support are more limited than ever.