ISTANBUL

Over 480 shelters and 11 learning facilities were destroyed in a fire at a refugee camp in Bangladesh on Tuesday, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

"A fire swept through Rohingya Camp 16 this morning, destroying over 480 shelters and 11 UNICEF-supported learning facilities, taking away homes and classrooms in minutes," UNICEF Bangladesh said on the US social media company X.

"For Rohingya children who have already lost so much, this is yet another cruel blow," it said, adding that the organization and its partners are currently assessing the damage and "are committed to providing urgent support to families."

Bangladesh is hosting more than 1.2 million Muslim Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar, most of whom fled Myanmar in August 2017 during a military crackdown that human rights groups described as genocide.