Currently, over 1 million people are stuck in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, trapped in a forgotten situation since 2017. Overwhelmingly, the majority are children with little hope for a way out.

In Cox’s Bazar children and young people are fighting fires left, right and centre. They wake each day not knowing if there will be enough to eat or drink or how to best protect themselves against the violence that permeates the camp, as well as the ever-present threat of disasters. In fact, the fires are literal. Due to overcramping, congested infrastructure and lack of proper firefighting resources, fires pose significant danger to the community.

This is a distressing reality for children and young people like Lamia*, 18, who sought shelter at the camp with her mum and three younger siblings. That was seven years ago, yet much has stayed the same. However, she is eager to take charge however best she can.

Lamia belongs to one of the many female led-households in Cox’s Bazar, making her even more vulnerable to gender-based violence and responsible for disasters such as fires, which are becoming increasingly common.

“I heard about a committee from my friends and joined the next day,” says Lamia. “I want to work as a firefighter and serve my community; I want to save people’s lives.”

Lamia has since learnt how to recognise, respond to, and act in case of a disaster. She also participated in mock drills to understand what to do when disaster strikes.

Knowledge and skills gained through these programs can mean the difference between life and death, especially for girls. Along with disaster risk training, girls across the camps are also being taught about menstruation and early marriage.