When a fire at Rangamati’s Shimultoli threatened to uproot the lives and livelihoods of locals, volunteers of UNDP’s National Resilience Programme (NRP) worked alongside firefighters to minimise the damage to people and properties.

The fire managed to gut at least 20 houses in the area but could not do further damage due to the valiant efforts of the volunteers and firefighters. Thirty of NRP’s 240 volunteers were involved in this effort.

The fire caused extensive damage, but no casualties were reported. “At one point, it was difficult to control the fire due to strong winds, but later, the fire was brought under control with the efforts of three firefighting units, police, army and the general public. However, a total of about 20 houses were burnt to ashes during this time,” said Rangamati Fire Service Deputy Director Ratan Kumar Nath.

Previously, the volunteers had assisted firefighters during another blaze in the town’s Kathaltoli area on March 6.

NRP’s 240 volunteers are involved in assisting first-response efforts during natural disasters and fires. They also work to spread awareness on social and public health issues amid the pandemic.

The volunteers are the helping force of Fire Service in responding fire and other natural hazards induced disasters like earthquake, landslides. They are closely working with the municipality to provide support in their community.

National Resilience Program is a project by United Nations Development Programme in partnership with Bangladesh Government, UN Women and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). NRP began its journey in 2018 with an aim to provide strategic support for developing national capacity to keep pace with the changing nature of disasters.

The project improves national capacities for risk-informed, gender-responsive and disability-inclusive development planning.