The July 2026 Cox’s Bazar Landslides: A Humanitarian Report

Executive Summary

The Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, remain among the world’s most vulnerable humanitarian settings due to chronic displacement, environmental hazards, and limited infrastructure. During the first week of July 2026, exceptionally heavy monsoon rainfall triggered severe flooding and a series of deadly landslides across several refugee camps, resulting in significant human casualties, destruction of shelters, disruption of humanitarian services, and renewed displacement of vulnerable families. The disaster exposed the continued risks associated with densely populated settlements established on unstable hillsides and low-lying terrain.

Between 6 and 8 July 2026, at least twelve Rohingya refugees, including women and children, lost their lives in multiple landslide incidents affecting Camps 5, 7, 11, and 15. Thousands of refugees were exposed to additional risks as damaged shelters, blocked access roads, flooded drainage systems, and disrupted educational and health facilities further complicated the humanitarian response. Emergency rescue operations were jointly conducted by the Bangladesh authorities, humanitarian organizations, and Rohingya community volunteers, while families residing in high-risk areas were relocated to temporary safe locations.  

This report examines the humanitarian consequences of the July 2026 monsoon disaster by analyzing available information on casualties, displacement, infrastructure damage, humanitarian response, and continuing protection concerns. It also identifies operational challenges faced by humanitarian actors and provides practical recommendations aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness, improving camp resilience, and reducing future disaster risks within the Rohingya refugee response.

1. Introduction

The Rohingya people have experienced decades of persecution, statelessness, forced displacement, and repeated humanitarian crises. Since the mass displacement from Myanmar in 2017, more than one million Rohingya refugees have sought protection in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, creating one of the largest refugee settlements in the world.

Although humanitarian agencies have established extensive protection and assistance mechanisms, the camps remain highly vulnerable to natural hazards, particularly during the annual monsoon season. Most refugee shelters are temporary structures constructed from bamboo, tarpaulin, rope, and lightweight materials.

These shelters are frequently located on steep hillsides or flood-prone lowlands where prolonged rainfall rapidly weakens soil stability, increasing the likelihood of landslides, flooding, and structural collapse. Every monsoon season presents serious risks to refugee safety, access to essential services, education, healthcare, livelihoods, and humanitarian operations.

The July 2026 landslides demonstrate that environmental hazards continue to threaten refugee lives despite ongoing preparedness measures. The disaster not only resulted in fatalities but also disrupted education, healthcare, transportation, shelter assistance, and protection services across several camps. The incident further highlights the urgent need for long-term investment in disaster risk reduction, resilient infrastructure, environmental management, and community preparedness.

• Objectives of the Report

This humanitarian report has been prepared with the following objectives:

• Scope of the Report

This report focuses on humanitarian developments occurring between 6 and 8 July 2026 within the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. It examines incidents occurring in Camps 5, 7, 11, and 15 while also considering their wider humanitarian implications across the refugee response. The report incorporates publicly available information, humanitarian updates, media reporting, and contextual analysis to provide an evidence-based overview of the disaster and its consequences.

4. Methodology

This report adopts a qualitative descriptive approach to examine the humanitarian impact of the July 2026 flooding and landslides in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Information has been compiled through a review of publicly available reports, humanitarian situation updates, media publications, and official statements issued by relevant authorities and humanitarian organizations. Data were further verified through local field information collected by Rohingya community volunteers working in the affected camps.

The report analyses secondary data from humanitarian agencies, government announcements, and national news outlets, while incorporating observations from community members to better understand the practical challenges experienced during the emergency. Although some information continued to evolve during the reporting period, every effort has been made to present the most accurate and reliable evidence available at the time of writing.

The purpose of this report is not only to document the disaster but also to identify humanitarian priorities, highlight operational challenges, and provide evidence-based recommendations that may contribute to improving disaster preparedness and emergency response for future monsoon seasons.

5. Overview of the Disaster

During the first week of July 2026, Cox’s Bazar experienced exceptionally heavy monsoon rainfall generated by an active monsoon system and a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. Meteorological reports recorded more than 150 millimeters of rainfall within a 24-hour period, causing widespread flooding, slope failures, and landslides across several refugee camps.

Between approximately 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM on 6 July 2026, multiple landslides occurred in Jamtoli (Camp 15), Kutupalong (Camp 7), and Balukhali (Camp 11). The incidents buried refugee shelters while families were sleeping, resulting in fatalities, injuries, and extensive property damage. Continuous rainfall also damaged roads, drainage systems, learning centers, healthcare facilities, and community infrastructure, significantly disrupting humanitarian operations.

A second major tragedy occurred on 8 July 2026 when a landslide struck Masjidul Kuba Women’s Madrasa and Hafiz Khana in Camp 5. Approximately fifty students had taken shelter inside the building due to the heavy rainfall. The collapse resulted in the deaths of five Hafza Hana(Religious School) and injuries to several others, making it one of the deadliest education-related incidents during the monsoon season according to the Refugees Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC). 

Timeline of Major Incidents

6. Humanitarian Impact Assessment

The July 2026 disaster had far-reaching humanitarian consequences beyond the immediate loss of life. The destruction of shelters displaced numerous refugee families, many of whom were forced to relocate to temporary learning centers, community facilities, and safer areas within neighboring camps. Damaged roads and flooded pathways delayed emergency rescue operations and complicated the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The disaster also affected education, healthcare, water, sanitation, protection, and livelihood activities. Several learning centers temporarily suspended classes due to unsafe conditions, while damaged access routes limited movement for humanitarian workers and emergency medical teams. Children, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities remained among the most vulnerable groups requiring immediate protection, psychosocial support, and emergency assistance following the disaster.

7. Humanitarian Consequences and Community Impact

The July 2026 flooding and landslides had immediate and long-term consequences for the Rohingya refugee population in Cox’s Bazar. Beyond the tragic loss of sixteen lives, the disaster severely disrupted daily life, humanitarian service delivery, education, healthcare, and community protection mechanisms. The incident once again demonstrated the high level of environmental vulnerability facing refugees living in overcrowded settlements constructed on unstable hillsides.

One of the most significant humanitarian consequences was the destruction of shelters. Numerous refugee households experienced either complete or partial damage to their homes, forcing many families to relocate temporarily to safer locations, including learning centers, community facilities, and emergency shelters established by humanitarian agencies. Continuous rainfall further delayed shelter repairs and increased the risk of additional landslides, leaving many families exposed to unsafe living conditions.

The disaster also placed considerable pressure on healthcare services. Several injured individuals required emergency medical treatment, while health facilities experienced increased demand during a period when access roads had become muddy, flooded, and difficult to navigate. Emergency medical teams faced logistical challenges in transporting injured survivors and delivering medical supplies to affected communities.

Educational services were significantly disrupted. Learning centers and religious schools suspended classes because of flooding, damaged infrastructure, and safety concerns. The collapse of the women’s madrasa and Hafiz Khana in Camp 5 represented one of the most devastating educational tragedies during the reporting period, resulting in the deaths of eight schoolgirls and highlighting the urgent need to strengthen disaster preparedness within educational facilities.

Sectoral Humanitarian Impact Assessment

8. Protection Concerns

Children remained among the most affected population groups throughout the emergency. The majority of fatalities were children, demonstrating the disproportionate impact of disasters on younger members of the refugee community. Many children also experienced psychological distress after witnessing the destruction of shelters, losing family members, or being displaced from their homes.

Women faced additional protection challenges during displacement, including limited privacy in temporary shelters and increased caregiving responsibilities following the disaster. Older persons and individuals living with disabilities experienced greater difficulties accessing emergency services because of damaged roads, steep terrain, and mobility limitations.

The disaster further highlighted the importance of strengthening community-based disaster preparedness programmes. Rohingya volunteers played a critical role in search-and-rescue operations, evacuation efforts, and humanitarian coordination. Their participation demonstrated the value of community engagement in emergency response and the need for continued investment in volunteer training, early warning systems, first-aid capacity, and local disaster risk reduction initiatives to improve resilience before future monsoon seasons.

References

Prothom Alo. (2026, July 6). Eight killed in landslides caused by heavy rain in Cox’s Bazar.

The Daily Star. (2026, July 6). Landslides kill 9, including 8 in Rohingya camps, as heavy rain batters Cox’s Bazar.

International Organization for Migration. (2026). Bangladesh crisis response plan 2026. Global Crisis Response Platform.

Inter Sector Coordination Group. (2 026,July).Flash Situation Update #1: Heavy Rainfall, Flash Floods and Landslides in the Rohingya Camps (4–6 July 2026). https://rohingyaresponse.org/cross-cutting/emergency-preparedness-and-response.

International Organization for Migration. (2026). Bangladesh crisis response plan 2026. Global Crisis Response Platform.

Authors and Data Collection Team

Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere appreciation to the Rohingya community volunteers, humanitarian workers, and local responders who assisted in collecting field information during the July 2026 monsoon emergency. Special thanks are extended to the dedicated data collection team for documenting incidents, verifying information, and supporting evidence-based humanitarian reporting under extremely challenging weather conditions. The authors also acknowledge publicly available information and official updates from humanitarian organizations, government authorities, and national media outlets, which contributed to the preparation of this report.

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared for humanitarian research, documentation, advocacy, and educational purposes. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, casualty figures and operational updates reflect the information available during the reporting period and may be subject to revision as additional verified information becomes available. The analysis and recommendations contained in this report are intended to support humanitarian action, disaster preparedness, and evidence-based policy discussions concerning the Rohingya refugee response in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.