Rohingya Refugees in Crisis: UN Agencies Urge Urgent Global Support Amid Rising Insecurity and Dwindling Funds

Despite the daunting challenges, UN officials continue to hold out hope for a future where Rohingya refugees can return home voluntarily, in safety and dignity.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and a coalition of 113 humanitarian partners are making a renewed and urgent appeal to the international community to strengthen its support for Rohingya refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh. This call comes as the humanitarian situation worsens due to escalating violence in Myanmar, declining international funding, and a shifting global focus to other crises.

Launched today in Geneva, the 2025-26 Joint Response Plan (JRP) represents the first-ever multi-year funding appeal for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. The plan requests $934.5 million in its first year to provide essential aid and services to approximately 1.48 million people, including over 960,000 Rohingya refugees living in sprawling camps in Cox’s Bazar and nearly half a million Bangladeshis in the surrounding host communities.

The JRP was officially presented by Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Amy Pope, Director-General of the IOM; and Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh’s High Representative on Rohingya Crisis and Priority Affairs.

Crisis Entering Its Eighth Year

Now in its eighth year, the Rohingya refugee crisis began in 2017 when hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine State amid brutal military crackdowns, widely condemned by the international community as ethnic cleansing. Despite the enormity of the crisis, it has increasingly fallen off the global radar, while the needs of the displaced remain acute.

Ongoing unrest and military conflict in Myanmar—especially in Rakhine State—have made voluntary and safe repatriation of the Rohingya impossible for the foreseeable future. In the absence of long-term solutions, Rohingya refugees remain entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival, security, and dignity.

Growing Vulnerabilities and Dire Consequences of Underfunding

More than 50 percent of refugees in the camps are women and girls, who face heightened risks of gender-based violence, trafficking, and exploitation. Meanwhile, about one-third of the Rohingya population is between the ages of 10 and 24, a generation whose future hangs in the balance due to lack of access to formal education, vocational training, and self-reliance opportunities.

UN officials warn that without urgent and sustained support, cuts to critical services—including food assistance, healthcare, shelter, education, and cooking fuel—could have devastating effects on the lives of refugees. Previous funding gaps have already led to reduced food rations, fueling desperation and forcing many to consider risky sea journeys in search of safety and stability elsewhere.

"The stakes are incredibly high," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi. "Without sufficient international support, we will see increasing instability in the camps, greater hardship for already vulnerable communities, and rising numbers of Rohingya attempting perilous crossings across the Bay of Bengal."

Supporting Host Communities and Long-Term Solutions

The Joint Response Plan also recognizes the strain placed on local Bangladeshi communities, who have generously hosted refugees for years. Part of the funding appeal will go toward community development projects, infrastructure improvements, and livelihood programs aimed at strengthening resilience and maintaining social cohesion between refugees and their hosts.

IOM Director-General Amy Pope emphasized the importance of “shared responsibility” in addressing the protracted crisis. “Bangladesh has shown extraordinary solidarity in hosting the Rohingya,” she said. “Now the world must do its part. It is time for donors, governments, and partners to commit to long-term, predictable support.”

Looking Ahead: Funding, Protection, and Self-Reliance

With this multi-year plan, humanitarian organizations hope to shift toward more predictable, sustainable funding that can ensure continuity of vital services and support more dignified living conditions for refugees.

Key priorities of the 2025-26 JRP include:

• Protection services, especially for women, children, and persons with disabilities

• Access to basic health, nutrition, water and sanitation

• Education and skills development programs for youth

• Livelihood initiatives and renewable energy solutions to support self-reliance

• Environmental restoration in deforested, high-density camp areas

Despite the daunting challenges, UN officials continue to hold out hope for a future where Rohingya refugees can return home voluntarily, in safety and dignity. Until that becomes a reality, sustained international commitment is urgently needed to prevent further suffering and instability.

“The Rohingya cannot be forgotten,” said Dr. Khalilur Rahman. “They deserve safety, dignity, and a future—and for that, we need the world to stand with us.”