UNHCR: Over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees trapped in Bangladesh

Prospects for the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar are rapidly diminishing as intense violence, persecution, and systemic conflict continue to ravage Rakhine State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch highlighted a compounding humanitarian crisis. Nearly nine years after the initial 2017 military crackdown sparked a mass exodus from Myanmar, approximately 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remain trapped in limbo in Bangladesh, entirely dependent on international aid, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The crisis has been significantly exacerbated by fresh waves of conflict inside Myanmar since early 2024, which have driven an additional 150,000 newly displaced Rohingya across the border. This influx has severely strained already overcrowded refugee camps and depleted limited local resources.

"The international community must continue to stand in solidarity with refugees from Myanmar, including Rohingya refugees, and their host communities. As targeted violence, persecution and conflict inside Myanmar’s Rakhine State continue, hopes for a return to Myanmar are fading."
— Babar Baloch, UNHCR Spokesperson

The warning comes amid a severe global funding crunch for humanitarian operations. Last month, the UN and its partner organizations launched a high-priority appeal for $710.5 million to address the most critical survival needs of the refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh. Strikingly, this funding target is 26% lower than the previous year's request, forcing sharp reductions in essential daily assistance. The dwindling aid and virtually non-existent livelihood opportunities are placing immense pressure on vulnerable households, particularly impacting women, girls, the elderly, and individuals living with disabilities.

Faced with an increasingly bleak and uncertain future, a growing number of refugees are resorting to desperate measures. According to UNHCR tracking data, an increasing number of Rohingya are embarking on highly dangerous, often fatal maritime journeys across the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in search of alternative safety in the region.

The agency revealed a grim milestone, confirming that 2025 closed out as the deadliest year on record for these maritime crossings, with nearly 900 Rohingya refugees documented as either dead or missing at sea.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada