Although experts feared that Cyclone Mocha would wreak havoc in Cox's Bazar, the Rohingya refugee camps in the district escaped the wrath of the cyclone with reports of no serious damage to lives and valuables.
There were reports of at least 500 Rohingya shelters being damaged, some completely and some partially.
Earlier, residents of Cox's Bazar's Rohingya camps were seen taking shelter on the roofs to protect their homes from the destruction of the cyclone.
Although many Rohingyas people of Kutupalong camp climbed onto the roof of their houses, they were not safe from the cyclone's devastation. Due to the speed of the wind, some trees have fallen there. The tin sheds of some houses were broken or blown away by the wind.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Mizanur Rahman said that the cyclone had hit with a lesser force than it was feared, leading to less damage.
He said: "There were no reports of major damage at the camp. However, roofs of some of the shanties in the camp were blown away and there were reports of some uprooted trees due to the strong wind. There was no flooding in the camp."
As part of the preparations, UNHCR and IOM have stocked shelter kits in their warehouses. Once the rain stops on Monday or the day after, the distribution of kits and repairing of damaged houses will begin.
The affected families have been moved to different areas, while some have taken shelter at their relatives' homes.
Wazear Rahman, Armed Police Battalion (APBn) operation officer at Kutupalong Rohingya camp, told Dhaka Tribune: “We found that trees were downed by the storm in various places of the camp. Some houses of the Rohingya people were affected. Some of its tin shades were blown away while others sustained damages.
“Even where the police barracks are located in the camp, shanties were damaged by the wind. Currently, there is no electricity here. However, we have not received any news of major damage yet. We are not going out without information, but our team is ready. And as far as we know, the people of the camp have not gone to any shelter yet,” he added.