The Fire

Fire service making its way to the scene

 You cannot imagine how gratifying it was to receive emails of concern and solidarity from Minnesota, Canada, South Africa, Madagascar, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado and Indiana - the first one from South Africa within 10 minutes of sending out the email! And we know that many others joined in prayer. We join you in believing that the prayers of God's people change things in the heavenly realm as they overturn realities on earth! Thank you for your prayers for the Rohingya (as you will see, we still need them)! As we were receiving these expressions of solidarity from you, we were also receiving news that the fires were being brought under control. 

The news is not good. This is what we know:

1. There was a response from the Bangladeshi fire servce, thankfully!
2. As we were writing the email, we were receiving news of deaths of adults and children. Those numbers will only become clear today, and in the days to come. There was loss of life.
3. I was messaged the image of an incinerated child which must be making its way around social media.
4. We heard news that the new fence put up was deterring people from safeguarding their meager possessions. 
5. At least these facilities, who cared for the Rohingya, have been lost to the fire: an IOM (International Organization for Migration) Primary Health Care facility, MSF (Médecins sans Frontière) clinic, a PHD health post in Camp 17, Turkish hospital, Camp 8E and Camp 10 LP gas distribution posts (for LP gas that is given to the Rohingya for cooking purposes).
6. We understand that LP gas canisters have some sort of venting system that would keep them from exploding (this is to be confirmed). At one point the logistics cluster was putting out an urgent message to remove oxygen tanks from health facilities in the path of the fire. We pray that was able to happen. 
7. A rapid assessment team was able to make it into Camp 8E by 8:30 pm. Here is their assessment:
8. 

1. The fire spread beyond the camps into surrounding areas. We know of two Medair Bangladeshi nutrition employees who lost their homes which were just outside the camp limits. 

   

   A map of the mega-camp with an estimated population

2. It remains to be see if all fires are yet under control. 
3. There was a massive migration of people from affected areas in the camps to unaffected areas (they could not move outside the camp because of the fence, I presume). The rebuilding process will be immense.
4. There has been a call to reassure refugees that documents attesting to their refugee status, and giving them access to services, will be reissued as many may have been lost to the fire. This is part of the loss for them. 
5. All our Medair shelter staff were able to get out of camp 8E safely.
6. All our Medair nutrition staff are safe and accounted for. 
7. The Medair Mobile Medical Team (MMT - part of our health team) is standing by for deployment (with many other teams which were being mobilized last evening), and the Medair ambulance is ready to serve as well.
8. The Medair SHE team will be leaving Cox's Bazar within 1.5 hours to go to camp 8E where they are the emergency shelter focal point. 

There is much more we simply don't know at this point. 

This morning we join our voices in lament with our Hebrew

A view of the devastation

ancestors in the faith and with the Rohingya who must also be expressing such sentiment: "1 ¶  How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2  How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3  Consider and answer me, O LORD my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death…." (Psalm 13). May the God of all comfort be the consolation of this people, the Rohingya in the camps, who are declared non-people in their homeland and who suffer as refugees in this land, and across the world. May this God answer their wailing and their prayer, "How long?"

Pray for: 

• the consolation of a people for whom this suffering is simply stacked on top of a mound of other adversity and torment.
• for the Medair shelter and MMT teams to bring material, emotional and spiritual comfort as they deploy to these areas.
• the COVID-19 surge happening in Bangladesh (the vaccination campaign in the camps is due to start on the 27th of this month).
• those who lost family members, belongings, and the little documentation they were able to bring from Myanmar.
• all those responding to this crisis - they they will alleviate suffering and bring comfort.
• organizations who have lost facilities.
• that our upside-down God can bring good out of this bleak situation!
• for humanitarian aid workers and other Bangladeshi who have lost their homes to the fire, or been affected in other ways. 

We leave you with Psalm 90:

1 ¶  Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3  You turn us back to dust, and say, "Turn back, you mortals."

4  For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night.

5  You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning;

6  in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.

7 ¶  For we are consumed by your anger; by your wrath we are overwhelmed.

8  You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9  For all our days pass away under your wrath; our years come to an end like a sigh.

10  The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11  Who considers the power of your anger? Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

12 ¶  So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

13  Turn, O LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants!

14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15  Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.

16  Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

17  Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands!