Diplomatic Correspondent :
The Rohingya refugee crisis continues to deepen, with nearly 150,000 more Rohingyas arriving in Bangladesh over the past 18 months, adding to the 1.2 million already sheltered in the country, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on Friday.
The new arrivals, fleeing renewed violence and political instability in Myanmar, have sought refuge primarily in Cox’s Bazar, which now hosts the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Despite years of international pledges, not a single Rohingya has been repatriated since the mass exodus began in August 2017 – a tragic milestone that will mark its eighth anniversary next month.
UNHCR has warned that its life-saving operations in Bangladesh are on the brink of collapse due to severe funding shortfalls. An urgent appeal has been launched for $255.5 million in 2025 to maintain critical services including food aid, healthcare, shelter, and education.
“Unless additional funds are secured, essential services will begin shutting down within months,” UNHCR cautioned. “Health services may be severely disrupted by September, LPG fuel supplies will be exhausted, and by December, food assistance is expected to cease entirely. Education for over 230,000 children – including 63,000 from the latest influx – is at imminent risk.”
A spokesperson for the agency described the situation as “dire,” adding: “Without renewed support from the international community, this entire refugee response could unravel, leaving over one million people without access to even the most basic of necessities.”
Bangladesh, already listed among the world’s most disaster-prone nations, continues to shoulder the enormous responsibility of hosting this stateless population.
Despite several bilateral agreements and sustained diplomatic efforts, progress towards the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas remains stalled. The continued closure of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border and worsening conditions in Rakhine State have only compounded the crisis.
Deprived of citizenship in Myanmar and wholly dependent on humanitarian aid, many Rohingyas now face mounting desperation, prompting some to undertake dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and stability elsewhere.
As the anniversary of the 2017 exodus nears, UNHCR has urged the international community to redouble its commitment – not only to immediate humanitarian assistance but also to finding sustainable, long-term solutions. “This crisis cannot be allowed to fade into the background,” UNHCR warned. “It is a test of global solidarity and collective responsibility.”
The crisis originally erupted in August 2017 following a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, forcing more than 750,000 Rohingyas to flee into Bangladesh in a matter of weeks. They joined earlier waves of refugees from the 1970s and 1990s. Today, the camps in Cox’s Bazar span just 24 square kilometres, with thousands more relocated to the remote island settlement of Bhasan Char.
The Interim Government of Bangladesh, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, has reiterated calls for greater international engagement in resolving the crisis, particularly through meaningful repatriation. However, ongoing armed conflict between Myanmar’s military and various insurgent groups continues to render the return of Rohingyas both unsafe and uncertain.
In a significant development, the President of the United Nations General Assembly will host a High-level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar on 30 September 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York – a move seen as a potential turning point in global efforts to address the crisis.
UNHCR and its humanitarian partners have also expressed appreciation to the Government of Bangladesh for authorising emergency support for newly arrived Rohingya refugees. “With violence in Myanmar showing no signs of abating, we continue to advocate for managed access to asylum for civilians fleeing conflict,” said a UNHCR representative.
Speaking in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch added: “Ongoing conflict and targeted violence in Rakhine State continue to drive thousands of Rohingyas to seek protection in Bangladesh. The international community must not look away.”
