Cutting Rohingya assistance could have severe, costly consequences: UNHCR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and humanitarian partners have asked the world not to forget Rohingyas in Bangladesh, noting that maintaining only minimum levels of humanitarian assistance risks generating "more complex, severe and costly" consequences.

"The international community has rallied to support the hyper-prioritized appeal, now 60 per cent funded. Maintaining only minimum levels of humanitarian assistance risks generating more complex, severe and costly consequences," said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch while responding to a question at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

This year, the world will mark nine years since the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh.

"With our partners, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on the international community not to forget the 1.2 million refugees in Bangladesh, most of them in camps in Cox's Bazar," said the UNHCR spokesperson. 

For decades, Rohingya people have been driven from their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine State, with Bangladesh providing protection to successive movements of refugees since the late seventies.

The largest influx came in August 2017, when some 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee across the border.

The generous support from Bangladesh and the international community has been critical in meeting their basic needs and providing protection.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.

UNHCR's call comes amid growing global instability and rising humanitarian pressures, which have forced difficult prioritization and threatened essential services for vulnerable populations.

Last month in Bangladesh, the United Nations and partners, coordinating with the government of Bangladesh, called for renewed international support - appealing for $710.5 million to meet the most urgent needs of Rohingya refugees and local host communities.

Despite growing needs, this hyper-prioritized appeal is 26 per cent less than last year.

Since 2017, humanitarian funding for the Rohingya refugee response has allowed Bangladesh to sustain life-saving assistance and make major progress in refugee education, health and protection.

However, significant humanitarian needs persist, and, without continued international solidarity, the plight of Rohingya families will deteriorate, said the UNHCR spokesperson.

Amid sharp reductions in humanitarian and development support, Rohingya refugees remain largely reliant on aid.

"Limited economic opportunities and reduced assistance continue to impact households," said the official, noting that the situation is more acute for vulnerable groups, including women and girls, people with disabilities, and older people, and some 150,000 new arrivals who fled renewed violence in Rakhine State since early 2024.

As targeted violence, persecution and conflict inside Myanmar's Rakhine State continue, hopes for a return to Myanmar are fading, the UN Agency said.

More refugees are faced with desperate choices, including dangerous and often deadly sea journeys in search of opportunities in the region.

"2025 was the deadliest year on record for such voyages, with nearly 900 Rohingya refugees reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal," said the UN official.

Against this backdrop, the appeal focuses on the most critical humanitarian needs. Investment in resilience and self-reliance is crucial to preserving dignity and hope and reducing long-term dependence on aid.

Until the conflict and violence stop, the international community must continue to stand in solidarity with refugees from Myanmar, including Rohingya refugees, and their host communities, providing humanitarian assistance and renewing efforts to allow voluntary, safe and dignified return, UNHCR said.