Overused toilets line the steep embankments of Kutupalong refugee camp. Sagging bamboo and tarpaulin emergency latrines balance precariously near steep drop-offs; others sit dangerously near water sources. Some have been damaged, their skinny skeletons exposing the concrete rings of a pit partially buried and unsealed, while others are already taped off completely due to waste overflow.

For any kind of emergency, there will be so many nontraditional actors, private foundations, private donors — those who are providing their assistance by emotion, not by logic.

The intentions of nontraditional donors or groups that haven’t exercised strong construction oversight may have been to help, but latrines uphill from water points, in particular, put the Rohingya population in danger of serious waterborne illness — particularly cholera. Contaminated water also causes many in the camps to suffer from chronic diarrhea and skin diseases, which was apparent to Devex when speaking with refugees in line at a clinic in Kutupalong. Many guardians pointed to the scabs and irritation on children’s bodies and arms.

Read the source article on emergency latrines for Rohingya refugees by Kelli Rogers at Devex International Development