A vendor sells vegetables from a rickshaw van in a waterlogged street in Chattogram, Bangladesh, Aug 6, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) Tuesday said it has displaced over 15,000 Rohingya refugees and 300,000 members of the local communities in flash flood-hit Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh.

At least four people, including two Rohingya refugees, are reported to have died in the floods, IRC said in a statement.

The teams are carrying out a needs assessment to understand the full extent of the damage in the host communities surrounding the refugee camp

The fragile infrastructure of the refugee camps, some 400 km southeast of the country's capital Dhaka, has been severely damaged, with over 2,000 shelters destroyed as well as facilities such as health centers and community centers that are vital to the wellbeing of refugees.

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In response to the disaster, the IRC said it has deployed mobile response teams to affected areas in Cox's Bazar, which are ready to deliver emergency health and protection services to refugee and local communities.

Meanwhile, the teams are carrying out a needs assessment to understand the full extent of the damage in the host communities surrounding the refugee camp.

Hasina Rahman, IRC Bangladesh Director, said that the present situation underscores the urgent need for long-term solutions to address the vulnerability of Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, which includes comprehensive disaster preparedness, infrastructure improvements, and sustainable measures to safeguard the lives and dignity of these displaced communities.

READ MORE: Millions stranded as floods ravage parts of Bangladesh, India

Those who are most vulnerable in society -- people with disabilities, women, children, and the elderly -- should be given special attention in the humanitarian assistance to the affected areas, said the director.