Eight years since the first wave of Rohingya refugees fled attacks in Myanmar to seek aid and safety in Bangladesh, they are facing desperate living conditions, declining funds, and impossible choices, Islamic Relief says. Around 1.1 million Rohingya refugees are languishing in camps and need greater international support to survive in dignity and have hope for the future. More people continue to arrive, fleeing recent fighting in Myanmar.
Islamic Relief is providing aid in the camps around Cox’s Bazaar, the world’s largest refugee settlement. Talha Jamal, Islamic Relief ‘s Country Director in Bangladesh, said:
“The Rohingya people have suffered so much and overcome so many challenges over the past eight years, from fleeing horrific violent attacks to now being stuck in vast camps where living conditions are rapidly deteriorating. Half a million children and youth growing up here have little hope for the future. People are unable to work to support themselves, but unprecedented aid cuts mean families are seeing their food rations reduced and basic services such as water, schools and health centres taken away. Malnutrition has risen by 27% since last year and many people are consuming less than 1,000 calories per day.
“Eight years on, the world is losing attention. Aid agencies are doing everything we can but it’s not enough and there isn’t enough funding to reach everyone, especially as even more people continue to arrive so the needs are still increasing. We feel overwhelmed.”
“Bangladesh has taken in the vast majority of the refugees. The international community has a collective responsibility to ensure that Rohingya communities can survive, live in safety and dignity, and have hope for their future. Families are facing an impossible and unfair choice between staying in camps where there isn’t enough aid, services and jobs, or going back to Myanmar where they face the ongoing risk of attack and persecution. Eight years on, we need a long-term solution.”
Yesterday’s conference hosted by Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark the eighth anniversary is a positive step and reaffirmed the need for international support to resolve the crisis. At the conference, it was widely recognised that repatriation of the Rohingya back to Myanmar will take significant time and that Bangladesh alone cannot and should not bear the costs of hosting them on behalf of the international community.
Islamic Relief is calling on governments to support refugee-hosting countries and fund the 2025 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya crisis — two thirds of the way through the year the JRP has received just 36% of its targeted funds. The international community must also protect Rohingya people still being attacked in Myanmar, and step up diplomatic efforts to push for dialogue and an end to the crisis in Myanmar so that Rohingya who wish to do so can return safely. Any returns must be voluntary, safe and dignified.
Islamic Relief has been supporting Rohingya refugees and local host communities in Bangladesh since the influx of people in 2017. Working in coordination with local authorities in Bangladesh and partners such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme, our response is providing assistance including food, water, sanitation, cooking gas, livelihoods support and education to 300,000 people across five camps.
