Thousands of Rohingya exposed after Cyclone Mora destroys homes

A major cyclone destroyed the large majority of temporary homes set up for Myanmar's Rohingya refugees in east Bangladesh on Tuesday.

Cyclone Mora caused hundreds of thousands of refugees to flee the Cox's Bazar district to higher ground, as experts predict the disaster will impact around 11 million people.

"The winds are likely to be damaging, but we're especially concerned about the massive amounts of rainfall being predicted, which is likely to see a dangerous storm surge and flooding," Save the Children Country Director in Bangladesh, Mark Pierce warned before the cyclone hit.

The Global Alert and Disaster Coordination System warned that powerful winds would affect large parts of the east of Bangladesh, possibly affecting 11.4 million people.

One UN official working with Rohingya refugees reported that many of the camp's inhabitants had remained in the camps regardless of warnings.

But many community leaders worry for their safety, as the vast majority of the camp's infrastructure has been blown away.

"Most of the temporary houses in the camps have been flattened," Shamsul Alam, a Rohingya community leader, told Reuters.

Alam said most of the thatched huts, under which the majority of refugees were living in the Balukhali and Kutupalong camps, had been destroyed.

"Now we're in the open air," said Omar Farukh, a community leader in Kutupalong camp.

Bangladeshi authorities reportedly evacuated around 350,000 people to safety from the local area, which borders Myanmar.

There are an estimated 75,000 Muslim Rohingyas currently living in Bangladesh, having fled persecution and violence in neighbouring Myanmar.