The Rohingya crisis must not be forgotten
Eight years on from the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, the crisis remains unresolved — and is now intensifying.
Our newspaper on Saturday reported that with nearly 150,000 new arrivals in Bangladesh over the past 18 months, the total Rohingya refugee population has surged past 1.35 million.
This protracted humanitarian disaster, centred in the overcrowded camps of Cox’s Bazar, demands urgent global attention.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has sounded the alarm: critical aid operations in Bangladesh are on the verge of collapse due to a severe funding shortfall.
With just months remaining before key services begin shutting down, the stakes could not be higher.
Health services are at risk of disruption by September, LPG supplies may run out, and food assistance could cease entirely by the end of the year.
Education for over 230,000 Rohingya children, including 63,000 recent arrivals, hangs in the balance.
Bangladesh, despite its own challenges as a climate-vulnerable and resource-constrained nation, has borne the burden of sheltering this stateless population with commendable resilience and humanity.
Yet, the country’s generosity cannot be a substitute for international responsibility.
The global community’s failure to facilitate the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas over the past eight years reflects a shameful abdication of duty.
Diplomatic efforts have stalled, bilateral agreements remain unfulfilled, and the deteriorating situation in Rakhine State has rendered return unviable.
Denied citizenship and left entirely dependent on aid, many Rohingyas now face mounting despair—some resorting to perilous sea journeys in search of safety.
The upcoming High-level Conference at the UN General Assembly in September presents a critical opportunity.
It must not be a mere platform for pledges and platitudes. Concrete commitments are needed—both to fully fund humanitarian operations and to revive efforts toward durable political solutions, including restoration of rights, security guarantees, and eventual reintegration in Myanmar.
This crisis is not just a regional issue — it is a test of global solidarity. As UNHCR rightly warned, it must not be allowed to fade into the background. The world cannot turn away while over a million vulnerable people are pushed closer to catastrophe.
It is time for meaningful action. Anything less would be a betrayal of the very principles the international community claims to uphold.