Staff Reporter :
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi has reaffirmed the agency’s steadfast support for over one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, stressing the urgent need to create conditions for their safe and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar.
Concluding his four-day visit to Bangladesh on Sunday, Grandi acknowledged the significant burden the crisis has placed on Bangladesh and urged the international community to maintain its commitment to humanitarian efforts.
Since the mass arrival of Rohingya refugees in 2017, Bangladesh has shown exceptional generosity, with host communities sharing their already limited resources, Grandi noted in a UNHCR statement released yesterday.
He emphasised that while humanitarian aid remains essential, long-term solutions require stronger efforts to address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar.
During his visit to the vast Kutupalong refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Grandi appealed for sustained international financial support, warning that a decline in funding could undermine crucial relief efforts.
“If funding drops significantly – an increasingly likely scenario – the progress made by the Bangladeshi government, humanitarian agencies, and the Rohingya community itself could be undone, putting thousands at risk of hunger, disease, and insecurity,” he cautioned.
The High Commissioner also met newly arrived Rohingya refugees fleeing escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Their accounts, he said, highlight the ongoing dangers that continue to hinder large-scale repatriation.
In discussions with local community leaders, including imams and female educators, Grandi stressed the importance of maintaining security in the camps and expanding programmes to support vulnerable groups – particularly women affected by violence and young people in need of education and vocational training.
His visit coincided with preparations for the 2025 Joint Response Plan, a collaborative initiative between UNHCR, the Bangladeshi government, and humanitarian partners to outline the humanitarian needs for both the Rohingya and their host communities in the coming year.
Despite repeated appeals for continued funding, previous response plans have struggled to secure adequate financial support.
“Nowhere is the life-saving role of humanitarian aid more evident than in the Cox’s Bazar camps,” Grandi stated in a post on X following his visit.
This marks Grandi’s sixth visit to Bangladesh, reaffirming the UNHCR’s ongoing commitment to addressing the prolonged crisis.
However, with no sustainable solution in sight and resources increasingly stretched, concerns are growing over the future of one of the world’s largest refugee populations.
