The United Nations, its humanitarian partners, and the Bangladeshi government are calling for renewed international support to address the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar camps and on Bhasan Char in Bangladesh, as well as those of local host communities. Wednesday’s appeal comes amid growing global instability and rising humanitarian pressures, which have forced difficult prioritization and threatened essential services for vulnerable people.
Aid agencies say sustained international assistance is crucial to strengthening Bangladesh’s response as it continues to generously host refugees until a lasting solution is found. Nearly a decade after fleeing targeted violence and persecution in Myanmar, some 1.2 million Rohingya refugees currently reside in Bangladesh.
In 2017, Myanmar’s security forces carried out a campaign of mass atrocities in Rakhine State, forcing over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Beginning in August of that year, hundreds of villages were burned, and Rohingya men, women, and children were killed throughout northern Rakhine—a campaign widely described as ethnic cleansing.
An independent international fact-finding mission documented evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity in Myanmar. Yet, no one in Myanmar has been held accountable for the crimes perpetrated against the Rohingya people.
At least 740,000 Rohingya refugees sought refuge in Bangladesh, joining the hundreds of thousands who had fled earlier. Nearly ten years later, Rohingya communities—both in exile and those remaining in Myanmar—face an additional deterioration of their already dire circumstances.
As conflict in Myanmar forces more people to flee, needs continue to rise, straining limited humanitarian resources and intensifying pressure on overcrowded camps.
Since mid-2024, more than 150,000 additional Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh due to escalating violence in Rakhine following the civil war that began with the 2021 military takeover. Rohingya civilians now face threats from both the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups fighting for control of the region.
Those in Rakhine State are caught in the ongoing conflict and subjected to forced recruitment, human rights violations, and severe movement restrictions, while aid blockages have worsened food insecurity and health conditions.
Meanwhile, the needs of Rohingya refugees, especially women and girls, in Bangladesh remain enormous, and funding cuts are already impacting every aspect of daily life in the camps. Against the backdrop of mounting pressures, the Rohingya appeal prioritizes assistance for the most critical humanitarian needs.
The scaled-down, hyper-prioritized 2026 update of the Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis aims to reach up to 1.56 million people, including refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.
The $710.5 million appeal—26 percent lower than in 2025—covers only the minimum required to sustain lifesaving assistance. The appeal includes $247.3 million for food, $128 million for shelter, and $61.2 million for water, sanitation, and hygiene.
The appeal also requests $52.7 million for education, $49.9 million for health, $35.1 million for livelihoods and skills development, and $36.2 million to support host communities affected by the crisis.
“As resources become more limited, it is more important than ever to help refugees build skills and resilience, so they can gain independence, hold on to hope, and rebuild their lives,” said Kelly T. Clements, the UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) Deputy High Commissioner, on Wednesday.
“Until the Rohingya can return home in safety and can rebuild their communities there, we must continue to provide safety, care, and dignity where they are.”
Clements noted that the humanitarian community is working hard to deliver support efficiently amid declining resources.
“But the needs remain enormous, and efficiencies alone cannot offset the very real impacts of funding cuts on the Rohingya people and the impact on their host communities,” she added.
Rania Dagash-Kamara, the UN World Food Programme's (WFP) Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation, stressed that Bangladesh has shown extraordinary generosity in hosting such a vulnerable population. She noted that the UN agency is deeply grateful to its donors who have continued to support the relief effort.
“WFP continues to adapt its operations to ensure assistance is delivered equitably, efficiently and effectively, based on real and evolving needs in the camps,” she added.
“But humanitarian assistance is not the end goal. Rohingya refugees want to return home to Myanmar when they can do so safely, voluntarily, and with dignity. We must continue to help create these conditions; we cannot let this crisis be forgotten.”
Amid steep cuts in humanitarian funding and dwindling development support, Rohingya refugees remain largely dependent on aid. In 2025, 35 percent of households relied fully on humanitarian food assistance, 42 percent had access to temporary and unstable income sources, and only 23 percent earned income through cash-for-work humanitarian activities.
These limited economic opportunities and reduced assistance continue to heavily impact Rohingya families, especially new arrivals and vulnerable groups, including women and girls, persons with disabilities, and older people.
With the conflict in Rakhine State ongoing, hopes for an imminent return to Myanmar are fading. As conditions worsen, more Rohingya resort to desperate measures, including dangerous and often deadly sea journeys across the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in search of opportunities elsewhere in the region.
Dire living conditions in refugee camps, limited access to services and livelihood opportunities, declining humanitarian aid, and the lack of prospects for a safe and dignified return and reintegration also drive people toward such perilous journeys.
2025 was the deadliest year on record for these sea voyages. According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 6,500 Rohingya refugees embarked on dangerous maritime journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar last year, and over 890 of them lost their lives or went missing.
This dangerous trend has continued into 2026. Last month only, a vessel carrying over 270 people, many of whom were Rohingya refugees, capsized, leaving only nine survivors.
Humanitarian organizations reiterate that the most viable—and lasting—solution to the Rohingya crisis is the safe, dignified, and sustainable return of refugees to Myanmar on a voluntary basis.
However, they also emphasize that continued international solidarity and support are essential until conditions in Myanmar are conducive—not only as a humanitarian imperative, but also to uphold human rights, preserve regional stability, and ensure that refugees and their host communities are not abandoned.