Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh Worsens Amid Funding Shortfalls

Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh Worsens Amid Funding Shortfalls
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The plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh continues to intensify as over 150,000 new arrivals have reached Cox’s Bazar in the past 18 months, The Financial Express reported quoting UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch. This influx, driven by ongoing violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, adds to more than one million Rohingya already residing in overcrowded camps across Bangladesh.

Bangladesh hosts the largest Rohingya population globally, primarily in 33 camps within Cox’s Bazar and over 36,000 relocated to Bhasan Char island. Despite lacking a formal refugee policy and not being a signatory to international refugee conventions, Bangladesh provides shelter, healthcare, food, and education through partnerships with UN agencies and NGOs. However, refugees remain legally unrecognized and face restrictions, including prohibition from formal employment, though nearly half engage in informal work.

The humanitarian situation is increasingly precarious due to severe funding shortages. UNHCR reports that only 35% of a $255 million appeal has been funded, threatening critical services. Without immediate funds, health services could collapse by September, food aid may end by December, and education for 230,000 children faces disruption. Reduced food vouchers have already heightened refugees’ desperation, prompting some to undertake dangerous journeys abroad.

UNHCR calls for urgent international solidarity to support Bangladesh and sustain life-saving assistance until conditions in Myanmar allow safe repatriation. The ongoing conflict and funding crisis pose severe risks to the well-being and future of the Rohingya refugees.