The Bangladesh refugee camps are packed together like a jigsaw. Makeshift homes made out of bamboo and tarpaulins cover the hillsides. No space is left untouched for as far as the eye can see.
Khoteza Begum, a mother of 11, says her family now calls this tent city home, after fleeing Myanmar as every house in their village went up in flames.
"We all fled. I didn't have time to take all of my children," Ms Begum told SBS News.
"When I realised two were missing I went back to my house but I didn't find them.
"When I came out, I found my two sons' dead bodies floating in the pond."
Traumatised and in shock, Ms Begum continued her journey with her nine other children, but when they reached the other side of the mountain the military was waiting.
"Just when we were about to reach the bottom of the mountain the military came in and my daughters ran in one direction and I ran in another direction," Ms Begum said.
"When I couldn't find my children I cried. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find them."
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'Great suffering'
With just the clothes on their backs, Rosina, 10, and Dilwara, 15, were left all alone and forced to make the treacherous 15-day crossing into Bangladesh by themselves.
"We two sisters were holding each other's hands and heading to Bangladesh. Since we didn't have our mother we didn't have any food or water," said Rosina.
"We come here with great suffering. Our bodies became poisoned from the thorns and broken wood."
Almost 1,500 unaccompanied children are currently living in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing violence in Myanmar.
Dilwara says for almost two months they had to navigate the camps and scrounge for food before they were finally picked up by aid workers from Save the Children.
"I was really scared because I didn't know where my mother was. Save the Children staff said 'no need to worry, no need to cry'. They kept us well protected and fed us," she said.
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'We found each other'
Ms Begum searched every day for her children. Mosques even put messages out via loudspeakers.
Just a few days ago, Ms Begum was told about an area where unaccompanied children are cared for. She rushed to the child-friendly space and by luck was reunited with her girls.
"When we found each other, it was the happiest moment for us," said Ms Begum.
Rosina says it was very emotional.
"When Mum came to us, immediately we embraced each other and we started to cry," she said.
Today, all nine children are closer than ever.
Rosina and Dilwara with three-year-old sister Amina Khatun. Source: SBS News
'We will go back'
Ms Begum, like so many other refugees, says she hopes her family can return to Myanmar one day.
"This is not our father country and it is not our mother country. You gave us shelter and you saved us, that's why we are alive," said Ms Begum.
"If we have freedom of movement, if we can live peacefully, we will go back to Myanmar."
But for now, she's trying to make the most of a terrible situation and vows not to let her youngest children out of her sight.
Kirsty travelled to Cox's Bazaar with the assistance of Save the Children.
The family were reunited at the refugee camp. Source: SBS News
Save the Children is one of several charities involved in an emergency joint appeal to help people fleeing violence in Myanmar. All donations to Australia for UNHCR and The Australian Red Cross will be matched by the Australian Government. View a list of all the charities taking part and how you can help in the link below.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
How you can help Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar
