By Ro Maung Shwe
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh — For thousands of Rohingya who fled renewed violence in Myanmar during 2024, crossing into Bangladesh was not the end of their suffering. While many escaped armed conflict, loss, and displacement, a new report suggests that the struggle for survival continues long after reaching safety.
A newly released report by Youth Congress Rohingya (YCR), titled From Arrival to Survival: The Migration Journey and Humanitarian Challenges of Newly Arrived Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh, documents the experiences of Rohingya refugees who arrived in Bangladesh following the escalation of violence in northern Rakhine State.
Based on interviews with newly arrived refugees, the report examines both the dangers people faced while fleeing Myanmar and the challenges they continue to encounter inside the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.
According to YCR, the findings reveal widespread displacement, family separation, civilian casualties, and significant humanitarian needs. The report places particular emphasis on the voices of survivors, presenting firsthand accounts of loss, displacement, and the search for safety.
Many participants described fleeing their homes under life-threatening circumstances as violence spread across their communities. Respondents recounted witnessing killings, injuries, destruction of property, and repeated attacks before eventually crossing the border into Bangladesh.
One of the report’s most striking findings concerns family loss. According to YCR, 45 percent of participants reported losing at least one family member during the conflict or while fleeing. Respondents attributed these deaths to armed attacks, shelling, lack of medical care, starvation, drowning during dangerous river and sea crossings, and enforced disappearances.
Beyond the physical loss, survivors spoke of enduring emotional trauma. Many described the pain of being unable to recover the bodies of loved ones or conduct proper funeral rites before fleeing.
The report also documents the uncertainty surrounding responsibility for attacks. Many participants alleged that attacks carried out by the Arakan Army (AA) resulted in civilian deaths, while others said they could not determine whether violence was committed by the AA or Myanmar military forces because of the intensity and confusion of the fighting. YCR presents these accounts as testimonies provided directly by survivors.
For many refugees, reaching Bangladesh required a long and dangerous journey. While some crossed the border within days, others spent weeks or even months moving from place to place as violence intensified around them.
Several interviewees reported being pushed back into Myanmar before eventually succeeding in reaching Bangladesh. Others described repeated displacement, detention, and uncertainty before finally arriving at refugee camps.
According to the report, the majority of newly arrived refugees entered Bangladesh between July and September 2024, during a period of intensified fighting in northern Rakhine State.
Yet arrival in Bangladesh did not immediately resolve many of the hardships they faced.
The report highlights significant challenges related to registration, humanitarian assistance, healthcare, education, and livelihoods. Although 85 percent of respondents said they eventually received some form of humanitarian assistance, 15 percent reported receiving no assistance at all, largely because they lacked registration documents or official refugee identification.
Many interviewees said they waited months before becoming eligible for food assistance and other essential services.
Food assistance was the most widely available form of support, but respondents frequently described it as insufficient to meet household needs. Refugees also reported limited access to healthcare services, shelter materials, education, hygiene supplies, mental health support, child nutrition programs, and menstrual hygiene assistance.
Even among those receiving aid, many continued to struggle. Participants described administrative errors, delays in registration, long distances to distribution centres, lengthy queues, and restrictions requiring only registered heads of household to collect assistance.
The report further finds that newly arrived refugees have few sustainable ways to support themselves. More than half of respondents reported receiving no remittances or financial assistance from relatives and remained almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid because opportunities to earn an income inside the camps are extremely limited.
Throughout the report, YCR stresses the importance of listening directly to Rohingya voices. Survivor testimonies illustrate not only the violence that forced people from their homes but also the continuing challenges of rebuilding lives after displacement.
Based on its findings, YCR calls for faster and more inclusive refugee registration procedures, improved access to humanitarian services, stronger protection mechanisms, expanded healthcare and psychosocial support, increased educational opportunities for children, and more equitable distribution of aid throughout the camps.
The organization also urges humanitarian agencies, the Government of Bangladesh, donors, and the wider international community to ensure that newly arrived Rohingya refugees are not excluded from life-saving assistance because of documentation delays or administrative barriers.
For many Rohingya families, reaching Bangladesh marked the end of one dangerous journey. Yet, as the report makes clear, it also marked the beginning of another struggle—one defined by uncertainty, limited opportunities, and the daily challenge of survival.
YCR concludes that addressing these humanitarian gaps while ensuring protection, dignity, and inclusion for newly arrived refugees remains an urgent responsibility requiring sustained international attention and support.
