By: Camp Correspondent
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – March 24, 2025
The United Nations has issued an urgent warning about the deepening crisis facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, stressing that further reductions in humanitarian assistance could result in devastating consequences for the community.
In a joint appeal released on Monday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), along with 113 humanitarian partners, called for US $934.5 million in funding for the first year of the 2025–2026 Joint Response Plan. The aid effort is designed to support approximately 1.48 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi host communities affected by the prolonged displacement.
Vital Aid Under Threat
The UN agencies warned that reduced support for food rations, shelter, education, and cooking fuel could leave many Rohingya families with no choice but to take dangerous routes by land or sea in search of survival. The majority of Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar remain entirely dependent on aid, as they are barred from working or freely moving outside the refugee camps.
“The lack of funding for essential services could push this already vulnerable population toward desperation,” the agencies said, warning that gaps in assistance may lead to increased trafficking, malnutrition, and unsafe migration.
The situation worsened earlier this month when the World Food Programme (WFP) announced possible cuts to food aid, further raising fears of widespread hunger. While WFP cited a general decline in global donations, Bangladeshi officials have pointed to the suspension of USAID support as a major setback. The United States has been one of the largest donors to Rohingya humanitarian operations since the beginning of the crisis.
Growing Needs as Rohingya Continue to Flee Arakan
While over one million Rohingya remain in Bangladesh, reports indicate that at least 70,000 more refugees crossed into Bangladesh in 2024 alone. Most fled from northern Arakan (Rakhine) State due to escalating armed conflict, worsening food insecurity, and ongoing persecution at the hands of armed groups and authorities.
Denied citizenship in their homeland and treated as stateless outsiders, Rohingya in Bangladesh also face harsh restrictions on education, healthcare, and movement. In overcrowded camps, criminal gangs and trafficking networks have flourished. Meanwhile, many shelters are fragile and highly vulnerable to monsoon damage.
“We are stuck in limbo,” said a Rohingya teacher in Camp 12, who asked not to be named. “If food is reduced further, many of us will be forced to risk the sea again.”
A Call for Urgent Action and Long-Term Solutions
UN agencies and rights organizations call on the international community to urgently increase financial support and recommit to a long-term, rights-based solution. They warn that continued neglect will lead to deeper instability within the camps and the wider region.
Despite repeated repatriation talks, Arakan remains unsafe for Rohingya return. Armed conflict between the junta military and ethnic forces continues, while Rohingya communities in Arakan are facing new waves of forced evictions, land confiscations, and restrictions under local armed groups.
“Returning to Myanmar without safety guarantees or citizenship is not an option,” said a community leader in Camp 8E. “We need protection, not promises.”
The humanitarian community is urging donor countries to prioritize Rohingya needs, warning that time is running out. Without immediate support, a generation of Rohingya children faces a future of hunger, fear, and hopelessness.
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