As nine years of displacement approach, Rohingya and humanitarian representatives in Dhaka called for sustained international support, stronger opportunities for refugees and conditions that would allow a safe and dignified return to their homeland.
by RK Desk
- As nine years of displacement approach, Rohingya and humanitarian representatives in Dhaka called for sustained international support, stronger opportunities for refugees and conditions that would allow a safe and dignified return to their homeland.
- Return Must Be Safe and Sustainable
- International Pressure on Myanmar
- Funding Shrinks as Needs Continue
- Education and Skills for a Generation Growing Up in Exile
Dhaka, 23 August 2026: Rohingya refugees should not be expected to return to Myanmar until peace, security and stability are established in Arakan, a Rohingya rights advocate told a Dhaka gathering as the community approaches nine years since the mass displacement of 2017.
“Before any repatriation process can begin, the international community must work to establish peace, security and stability in Rakhine,” Rohingya human rights advocate Lucky Karim said.
She also called for greater access to education and sustainable livelihood opportunities for Rohingya while they remain displaced in Bangladesh.
Her remarks came at “Confluence 2026: A Convening of Partnership, Appreciation and Commitment,” organised by the International Rescue Committee in Dhaka on August 22.
The event brought together Rohingya and host-community representatives, government officials, humanitarian organisations, donors, academics and other participants to discuss the future of the Rohingya response.
The gathering took place ahead of August 25, when Rohingya communities around the world will mark nine years since Myanmar military operations in 2017 drove more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh.
Return Must Be Safe and Sustainable
Participants stressed that repatriation remained an important long-term objective but said return would not be sustainable unless the conditions that forced Rohingya to flee were addressed.
For Rohingya refugees, those concerns extend beyond an end to active fighting.
Rohingya communities have repeatedly called for recognition of their identity, citizenship rights, physical security, freedom of movement and the ability to return to their homes and land.
Large parts of Arakan are now controlled by the Arakan Army, while conflict between the AA and Myanmar’s military junta continues in other areas.
Continuing displacement from Arakan has further complicated discussions about return. UNHCR recently said around 150 newly arrived Rohingya were approaching the agency in Bangladesh each week, citing conflict, air attacks, arrests, discrimination, movement restrictions and loss of livelihoods among the reasons people continue to flee.
International Pressure on Myanmar
Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir called on the international community to maintain pressure on Myanmar rather than allow the Rohingya crisis to disappear from global attention.
“The international community must work collectively to create meaningful pressure on Myanmar to ensure the sustainable and dignified return of the Rohingya to their country,” he said.
He described resolving the Rohingya crisis as a major foreign-policy priority and also called for greater international cooperation on durable solutions, including third-country resettlement.
For Rohingya, however, resettlement opportunities remain available to only a small proportion of the displaced population and do not replace their right to return to their homeland.
Funding Shrinks as Needs Continue
The discussion also highlighted declining international funding for the humanitarian response.
IRC Deputy Regional Director for Asia Hasina Rahman warned that shrinking resources and declining global attention were forcing humanitarian organisations to make increasingly difficult decisions.
“With funds shrinking and global attention drifting elsewhere from this crisis, we must plan together, prioritise protection and the most vulnerable,” she said.
The warning comes as humanitarian agencies are already reducing or restructuring services in the camps.
UNHCR’s representative in Bangladesh recently said the reduced $710 million humanitarian appeal for 2026 was only 66 percent funded, with shortages affecting areas including education, healthcare, sanitation and protection.
For Rohingya families, prolonged displacement combined with fewer services and limited opportunities to work legally has increased concerns over debt, exploitation, unsafe migration and the future of young people growing up in the camps.
Education and Skills for a Generation Growing Up in Exile
Participants at the IRC event called for greater investment in education, skills development and livelihood opportunities for Rohingya youth.
Nearly nine years after the 2017 displacement, a growing number of Rohingya children and young people have spent most or all of their lives in refugee camps.
Without adequate education and opportunities, humanitarian and Rohingya representatives warned that another generation risks entering adulthood without the skills and resources needed either to rebuild their lives after a future return or to support themselves while displacement continues.
Participants also called for stronger research on how the crisis has evolved and what policies are needed as displacement becomes increasingly prolonged.
The discussion ended with calls for sustained humanitarian assistance, stronger international responsibility and greater efforts to create conditions inside Arakan where Rohingya could eventually return voluntarily, safely and with dignity.
For Rohingya, the approaching anniversary carries a stark reality: nine years after the mass displacement of 2017, return remains an aspiration rather than an available choice.
The next year will begin with many of the fundamental questions still unresolved—whether Rohingya can return as Rohingya, live with equal rights and security, and participate in decisions that determine their future.
