Amidst the approaching ninth anniversary of the mass displacement of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) appealed to the international community on Tuesday not to abandon the 1.2 million refugees currently living in Bangladesh, primarily in makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar. UNHCR warned that significant humanitarian needs persist, and that without continued international solidarity, the situation of Rohingya families will deteriorate.
Rohingya people have been driven from their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State for decades, and Bangladesh has provided protection to successive waves of refugees since the late 1970s. The largest influx occurred in August 2017, when approximately 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee across the border.
That year, Myanmar’s security forces carried out a campaign of mass atrocities in Rakhine State, forcing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people 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 which has been widely described as ethnic cleansing.
Since 2017, humanitarian funding for the Rohingya refugee response has enabled Bangladesh to continue providing life-saving assistance.
“The generous support from Bangladesh and the international community has been critical in meeting their basic needs and providing protection,” UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told journalists in Geneva.
However, he warned that sharp reductions in aid funding are jeopardizing critical services for one of the world’s largest refugee populations.
“UNHCR’s call comes amid growing global instability and rising humanitarian pressures, which have forced difficult prioritization and threatened essential services for vulnerable populations,” he added.
Last month, the United Nations appealed for renewed international support requesting US$711 million to address the most urgent needs of Rohingya refugees and local host communities in Bangladesh.
While this hyper-prioritized appeal is now 60 percent funded, it is 26 percent lower than in 2025 and covers only the minimum required to sustain lifesaving assistance due to a global crisis in humanitarian funding.
“However, significant humanitarian needs persist and, without continued international solidarity, the plight of Rohingya families will deteriorate”, Baloch said.
Amid sharp reductions in humanitarian and development support, Rohingya refugees remain largely reliant on humanitarian assistance. Limited economic opportunities and reduced aid continue to impact households. 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.
“The situation is more acute for vulnerable groups, including women and girls, people with disabilities, and older people, and some 150,000 new arrivals who fled renewed violence in Rakhine State since early 2024,” noted the UNHCR spokesperson.
With the ongoing conflict in Myanmar forcing more people to flee, the strain on limited humanitarian resources is intensifying, as is the pressure on overcrowded camps. Since mid-2024, more than 150,000 additional Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh due to escalating violence in Rakhine State following the civil war that began with the 2021 military coup.
Rohingya civilians now face threats from both the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups fighting for control of the region. Those remaining in Rakhine State are caught in the ongoing conflict and are subjected to forced recruitment, human rights violations, and severe movement restrictions. Meanwhile, aid blockages in Myanmar have worsened food insecurity and health conditions.
As targeted violence, persecution, and conflict in Rakhine State continue, hopes for returning to Myanmar are fading. More refugees are faced with desperate choices, including dangerous and often deadly sea journeys in search of opportunities 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. Over 890 of them lost their lives or went missing in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
This dangerous trend has continued into 2026. In April of this year, a vessel carrying over 270 people, many of whom were Rohingya refugees, capsized, leaving only nine survivors.
“Until the conflict and violence stop, the international community must continue to stand in solidarity with refugees from Myanmar, including Rohingya refugees, and their host communities, providing humanitarian assistance and renewing efforts to allow voluntary, safe and dignified return,” Baloch concluded.