In the last two months, newly-arrived Rohingya refugees have cut down trees from 1,500 acres of social forestation project in Cox’s Bazar mainly for building temporary shades and firewood. Rohingya refugees, who have been arriving since late August, have also cleared about 2,000 acres of forestland in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox’s Bazar, forest officials said. “The others started staying on about 3,500 acres forestland of Ukhia-Teknaf range,” Kabir said. “The Rohingya refugees cut off all the trees within two days,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. However, Forest Officer Ali Kabir said he believed the newly-arrived Rohingya had so far destroyed about 3,500 acres of forestland.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 21, 2017 14:26 UTC