By: Camp Correspondent
April 29, 2025
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has issued an urgent call to the Government of Bangladesh to provide shelter and humanitarian support for more than 113,000 Rohingya who have fled ongoing violence in Arakan State (Rakhine), Myanmar.
Since the resurgence of conflict between Junta forces and the Arakan Army (AA) in November 2023, tens of thousands of Rohingya—primarily women, children, and the elderly—have been forced to cross into southeastern Bangladesh, seeking refuge from intense clashes and insecurity.
According to UNHCR, the newly displaced Rohingya are currently taking shelter in makeshift structures, schools, and mosques, as existing refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar are overcrowded and unable to absorb new arrivals. Authorities in Bangladesh remain reluctant to approve new camps, citing concerns that such steps might undermine future repatriation plans or trigger further cross-border movement.
“We are in urgent need of shelter, food, and medical care,” said a newly arrived Rohingya mother who fled northern Arakan with her children. “We came here to survive. We hope the world will not forget us.”
Despite these obstacles, international partners have pledged new support. The Government of Japan, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has signed a $3.5 million agreement to support both Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi host community. The program will cover shelter rehabilitation, protection services, clean water access, sanitation, and disaster risk reduction initiatives.
The renewed wave of displacement adds to what is already one of the world’s most protracted refugee crises. With no sign of durable peace in Arakan and ongoing persecution of Rohingya communities on both sides of the border, return remains an unlikely prospect for the foreseeable future.
The total Rohingya population in Bangladesh now exceeds 1.3 million, further intensifying the humanitarian burden on the host country.
Human rights groups and humanitarian agencies continue to call for international solidarity, urging nations and donors not to abandon the Rohingya people at a time of deepening crisis.
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