[🇧🇩] Insurgencies in Myanmar. Implications for Bangladesh

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Aid cuts could be paid in children's lives in Rohingya camps: UN

US President Donald Trump imposed a freeze on foreign aid in January pending a review, sending shockwaves through the humanitarian community.

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Aid cuts could be paid in children's lives in Rohingya camps: UN
AFP
Geneva
Updated: 11 Mar 2025, 22: 57

In this picture taken on 22 March 2022, Rohingya refugees walk along a road at Jamtoli refugee camp in Ukhiya AFP file photo

The United Nations warned Tuesday that the global aid funding crisis could be paid in children's lives in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, unless sustainable funds emerge fast.

US President Donald Trump imposed a freeze on foreign aid in January pending a review, sending shockwaves through the humanitarian community.

Huge numbers of the persecuted and stateless Rohingya community live in squalid relief camps in Bangladesh, most having arrived after fleeing a 2017 military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar.

Successive aid cuts have already caused severe hardship among Rohingya in the overcrowded settlements, who are reliant on aid and suffer from rampant malnutrition.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said youngsters in the camps were experiencing the worst levels of malnutrition since 2017, with admissions for severe malnutrition treatment up 27 percent in February compared with the same months in 2024.

Following the foreign aid review, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday that Washington was cancelling 83 percent of programmes at the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

"An aid funding crisis risks becoming a child survival crisis," Rana Flowers, UNICEF's representative in Bangladesh, told journalists in Geneva, speaking from Dhaka.

"More than 500,000 children live in the camps of Cox's Bazar. Over 15 percent are now malnourished -- an emergency threshold," she said.

"Any further reductions in humanitarian support risk pushing families into extreme desperation."

"There's no substitute for the scale of support provided by the donor governments and there's no replacement for the valuable partnership with the United States," she said.

"UNICEF is determined to stay and deliver for children -- but we need help. Without the guarantees of sustained funding, our life-saving humanitarian services, they're at risk. And the price is going to be paid in children's lives."

Flowers said UNICEF had received a US humanitarian waiver for its programme for treating children with severe acute malnutrition -- but needed funding to make it work, and it is on course to run out of money in June.

The cancelled US grants for Bangladesh "are equivalent to about a quarter of our Rohingya refugee response costs in 2024", she said.

Trump's cost-cutter-in-chief, tech billionaire Elon Musk, insisted last week on X, which he owns, that "no one has died as a result of a brief pause to do a sanity check on foreign aid funding. No one".

Rights grants cut

Other UN agencies detailed how the US funding shake-up had affected their operations.

The United States was the top voluntary contributor to the UN Human Rights Office in 2024, contributing $36 million, around 13.5 percent of such income, which accounted for 61 percent of the office's funding in 2023.

The agency said it had received termination letters for its US State Department grants for ongoing projects in Equatorial Guinea, Iraq and Ukraine, and for two USAID grants -- on Colombia and the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples.

"There has been an immediate impact. In Iraq we're shutting down a programme funded by the US which involved working with torture victims and families of disappeared persons," spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said.

"We're trying to reduce costs where possible. There are some countries where we will have to cut back on some of our work."​

 

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Swift construction of a 500-bed medical college hospital demanded in Cox’s Bazar

Additionally, the influx of Rohingya refugees has further strained the healthcare system

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Swift construction of a 500-bed medical college hospital demanded in Cox’s Bazar

Photo: Collected

At least 2.8 million residents of Cox's Bazar currently rely on a 250-bed general hospital, which serves 5,000 to 6,000 patients daily.

Additionally, the influx of Rohingya refugees has further strained the healthcare system.

Due to the absence of key departments such as neurosurgery, hematology, hepatology, psychiatry, NICU, and burn units, patients are frequently referred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, which is 150km away and costly.

Cox's Bazar Medical College students showed the grim picture of the medical system of the tourist town today emphasising the importance of a full fledged medical college hospital in the district.

They staged a human chain and held a press conference this afternoon demanding the swift construction of a 500-bed modern hospital.

The medical students and intern doctors of the college said although Cox's Bazar Medical College was established in 2008, no permanent 500-bed hospital has been built in the past 17 years. As a result, students must travel nearly 8km daily for clinical classes, which is time-consuming and difficult.

According to the speakers, inadequate facilities at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital hinder higher medical education, research, and specialised treatment.

The students strongly demanded that constructing a 500-bed modern hospital would ensure better treatment for locals and tourists while enhancing training and research opportunities for doctors.

Among those who addressed the protest were Dr Hisam, president of Cox's Bazar Intern Doctors Medical Association, along with fifth-year students Asibul Haque, Mizanur Rahman, Ahsan Sakib, Fahim Hasan, Rahat Hossain, and Shahadat Hossain.​

 

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Surge in crimes in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh feared after UN food aid cut

Officials overseeing Rohingya issues and community leaders fear a surge in crimes in and around the camps at Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar because of UN food aid cut.

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Surge in crimes in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh feared after UN food aid cut
Tanzil Rahaman 13 March, 2025, 23:33

Officials overseeing Rohingya issues and community leaders fear a surge in crimes in and around the camps at Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar because of UN food aid cut.

Rohingyas largely depend on the food ration provided by the UN’s World Food Programme as they have a small scope to go outside the camps and earn money to ensure food and other necessities for their family members, they said.

The UN food ration cut would impact their need for food negatively and, as a result, they would try to go outside their camps illegally to earn money and might be resisted by the law enforcement agencies and the members of the host community.

As a result, they feared, the Rohingyas would be compelled to be involved in different crimes like theft, robberies, drug smuggling and snatching to get money to meet their demands for food and other necessities.

The United Nations World Food Programme on March 7 warned of a critical funding shortfall for its emergency response operations in Bangladesh, jeopardising food assistance for over one million displaced Rohingya people in the host country.

A WFP press release on the day said that the monthly food rations must be halved to $6 per person, down from $12.50 per person.

The decision will be effective from April 1, officials said.

‘We have already expressed our concern to the camp in-charge and other stakeholders about the impact of the food ration cut for Rohingya people. The crimes like theft, robberies and snatching will increase in the area in the coming days due to the cut,’ Mohamamd Habib, the head majhi of camp 15 of Palongkhali union under Ukhiya upazila, told New Age.

A head majhi is the top leader of Rohingya community of a particular camp or area.

‘Rohingya people are now getting Tk 1,530 each and the amount will come down to Tk 728. The reduced amount is too low to meet one’s food demand amid high prices of essentials,’ Habib said.

Ata Ullah, a Rohingya community member now sheltered in the camp-1 at Kutupalang since 2017, said that only one in every 20 Rohingyas would be able to manage the needed money staying in the camp by doing business and working as labourers on a daily basis.

‘Most of the people will be hit hard due to the fund cut,’ Ata said.

The Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner chief Mohammed Mizanur Rahman also feared the possibility of increasing crimes in the area due to the food aid cut.

‘A hungry man is an angry man. If they don’t get food, the crimes, including thefts, yaba smuggling and robberies will increase as they don’t have enough scope to earn their livelihood,’ said Mizan.

He said that the food cut for Rohingyas would increase pressure on the Bangladesh government.

14th Armed Police Battalion commanding officer Siraj Amin, also an additional deputy inspector general of police, also feared that many Rohingyas might be involved in thefts, robberies, snatching and other criminal activities due to the food ration cut.

‘We are not allowing any Rohingya community member to go outside the camp. Some of them, however, use the periphery route of the camps to go outside as many parts of the peripheries don’t have barbed wire fence,’ he said.

The international community must urgently step up and deliver the necessary support to avoid the devastating impact on the lives of Rohingyas in Bangladesh following the announcement of severe aid cuts by the WFP, Amnesty International said in a statement on Thursday ahead of the visit of UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.

Interviews recently conducted by Amnesty International with Rohingyas show how the community people is bracing for the extreme impact of the deep cuts in WFP funding for about one million Rohingyas in Bangladesh from next month, the statement said.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the interim government has continued efforts to send back Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar without any progress, with the number of displaced people sheltered in Bangladesh camps now standing at 1.3 million.

Against the backdrop, UN secretary general António Guterres arrived in Dhaka Thursday afternoon on a four-day visit to Bangladesh.

Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and António Guterres will visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar today and join an Iftar party with about 1,00,000 Rohingyas at a camp to be arranged on behalf of the chief adviser.

‘It is not only an iftar but also expressing solidarity with the UN secretary general and the chief adviser,’ Mizan added.

In the beginning of 2025, UNICEF estimated that 14,200 children in the Rohingya refugee camps would suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2025, said a UNICEF press release.

Declining food rations, poor diets for children or other factors affecting the supply of safe water and health services in the camps could cause this number to rise significantly, it said.

‘For now, we can provide the services that Rohingya mothers come seeking, and that very sick children need, but as needs keep rising and funding declines, families are telling us they are terrified of what will happen to their babies if there are further food ration cuts and if lifesaving nutrition treatment services stop,’ said UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, Rana Flowers.

In Cox’s Bazar, where over one million Rohingya refugees including over 5,00,000 children live in the world’s largest refugee settlement, families are facing emergency levels of malnutrition.

Over 15 per cent of children in the camps are now malnourished – the highest levels recorded since the mass displacement of Rohingya refugees in 2017.

Myanmar’s military regime and international communities, including the United Nations Refugee Agency, have generally been blamed for the failure to send back Rohingya people to Myanmar since the large-scale exodus that began in August 2017, amid a military crackdown on the persecuted community in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

The number of Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh camps is increasing with average new births of 30,000 every year.

The government data shows that, out of the total Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh camps, 10,05,520 are registered.

Rohingya people are still entering Bangladesh from Mymanmar’s conflict-hit state of Rakhine illegally by paying money to boatmen and brokers on both sides of the border.

A total of 53,948 Rohingyas received temporary joint registration from the RRRC and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2024.

In January this year, 116 Rohingyas were registered and 40 other Rohingyas were registered in February in 2025.

There are 34 camps for Rohingyas in Ukhiya and Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char in Noakhali, RRRC officials said.

Border Guard Bangladesh officials, however, said that they had sent back over 15,000 Rohingyas from borders in Ukhiya and Teknaf from May 2024 to February 2025.​

 

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Rohingyas urge Yunus to facilitate their swift return

They made the call during his visit to the Rohingya camp along with UN Secretary-General António Guterres at an iftar event in Cox’s Bazar today

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Rohingyas urge Yunus to facilitate their swift return

Photo: AFP Rohingya refugees gather to listen to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during his visit to a refugee camp in Ukhia, Cox' Bazar yesterday.

The Rohingya community has urged Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to facilitate their swift return to their homeland.

They made the call during his visit to the Rohingya camp along with UN Secretary-General António Guterres at an iftar event in Cox's Bazar today.

The Rohingyas who met the CA told him, "We have land there. We can make a living. We came here because we were not allowed to stay in our own country. We do not want to be a burden to anyone..."

Expressing their willingness to return home, they requested Yunus to convince Myanmar authorities to take them back as soon as possible.

Photo: CA's press wing

"They [the Rohingyas] want the world to hear their plea," Yunus said.

Addressing the Rohingyas, he said, "Despite so many crises around the world, including wars in different regions, the UN secretary-general [António Guterres] has come here just to listen to you. He has travelled from afar solely to break fast with you so that a solution can be found. For this, we all express our gratitude to him."

He thanked all those involved in organising the event and sought prayers from everyone so that he could work with Guterres to resolve the issue swiftly.​

 

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UN chief speaks with Rohingya children at learning centre

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Rohingya children at a learning centre in the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar today

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UN chief speaks with Rohingya children at learning centre

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Rohingya children at a learning centre in the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar today.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Antonio Guterres arrived in the coastal town to attend several programmes, including a visit to the refugee camp.

They are being accompanied by UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) Rabab Fatima, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.​

 

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Rohingya crisis needs a lasting solution

We hope to see positive outcomes from the UN chief’s visit

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Rohingya crisis needs a lasting solution
We hope to see positive outcomes from the UN chief’s visit

At a time when Bangladesh is struggling to deal with the Rohingya crisis amid fund cuts by the US and other international donors, the importance of UN Secretary-General António Guterres's visit to Bangladesh cannot be overstated. This visit is also important for Bangladesh as the country undergoes a major political transition following the July uprising that ousted the fascist Awami League regime in August last year. As the primary focus of the UN chief's visit this time is to observe the Rohingya situation in Bangladesh, we hope it will reignite global attention to this crisis and mobilise international donors to financially support Bangladesh in providing the necessary assistance to the over one million Rohingya living here.

The UN chief is scheduled to visit the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar today and attend an iftar party with them, a gesture that reflects Guterres' empathy and support for the refugees. We were also encouraged by the concern he showed about the Rohingya crisis a month ago, when he sent a letter to the chief adviser, reaffirming the UN's solidarity with Bangladesh in its ongoing efforts to manage the humanitarian impact of the crisis. Therefore, we expect him to deliver a strong message to the world that, without global support, Bangladesh cannot continue shouldering this immense responsibility alone.

In the past few years, numerous other global crises have overshadowed the Rohingya issue, and funds for the refugees have declined alarmingly, making it challenging for Bangladesh to provide basic services to this forcibly displaced population. The recent fund cuts by the US have further worsened the crisis, and the impact is already evident in the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas. Moreover, the renewed violence in Myanmar has forced around 80,000 more Rohingyas to seek shelter in Bangladesh since August last year, adding to the staggering 1.2 million already living here. A recent Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit study painted a grim picture of the living conditions in the camps, highlighting gender-based violence and security concerns. The ongoing violence and instability within Myanmar are also hindering repatriation efforts.

Against this backdrop, we hope Guterres' visit will help push for a swift resolution to the Rohingya crisis—enabling them to return to Myanmar with safety and dignity. We would also request him to use his own and his office's influence to boost the dwindling humanitarian aid for the Rohingya.​

 

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Rohingya crisis at risk of being forgotten

International NGOs operating in Bangladesh have made an urgent call for bold and decisive global action to secure a sustainable future for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

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Rohingya crisis at risk of being forgotten
Warn INGOs, demand bold, decisive actions for sustainable solutions

A Rohingya camp. File photo

International NGOs operating in Bangladesh have made an urgent call for bold and decisive global action to secure a sustainable future for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

"The world cannot afford to let one of the largest refugee crises of our time fade from global attention. It is time to secure a sustainable future where Rohingya refugees and host communities are not left in limbo, but empowered to reclaim their rights and dignity," they said in a joint statement yesterday.

The international NGOs -- ACF, ActionAid, Cordaid, Concern Worldwide, DRC, Handicap International, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children, and World Vision -- made the statement.

The Rohingya crisis is not just a resource crisis, but a crisis of political will. The UN and international community must ensure sustained support and invest in long-term solutions.— Hasina Rahman Country director, International Rescue Committee.

The statement comes during UN Secretary-General António Guterres' visit to Bangladesh, hoping to help bring back global attention on the issue.

"With the humanitarian response to the Rohingya crisis facing severe funding shortages and shifting global priorities, the need for renewed and sustained international commitment has never been more urgent," the statement says.

They called for immediate and coordinated action to sustain life-saving assistance, innovative response strategies, and a dedicated mission that ensures stability and dignity for over one million Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox's Bazar.

Severe funding cuts have slashed rations by over half, which will be operational from April, worsening economic pressures and social tensions in host communities. Essential services -- including food and nutrition, WASH, protection, shelter, and livelihoods -- are critically affected.

"Without urgent reforms and a long-term strategy, this crisis risks becoming unsustainable and deeply entrenched. Now in its eighth year, the Rohingya crisis continues to strain Bangladesh's resources as donor commitments dwindle amid global crises," the statement added.

Signatories of the statement said addressing this crisis requires a high-level and regular dialogue among the UN, Bangladesh government, development partners, INGOs, local NGOs, and key international stakeholders.

"The current model of aid must evolve into a more sustainable, long-term, and resilience-based approach, integrating livelihoods, skills training, and economic opportunities for both Rohingya refugees and host communities," they added.

A Triple Nexus Approach, linking humanitarian relief, development, and peacebuilding, is crucial to reducing dependency and fostering self-reliance, they also said.

"The Rohingya crisis is not just a resource crisis, but a crisis of political will. The UN and international community must ensure sustained support and invest in long-term solutions," said Hasina Rahman, country director of International Rescue Committee.

ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir said, "Without immediate and decisive action, we risk allowing the Rohingya crisis to become a forgotten tragedy. A people-centred approach, ensuring livelihood, skills, and education opportunities, is the way forward."

Ashish Damle, country director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, said, "Given the prolonged nature of this crisis, we urge global stakeholders to consider a structured and dedicated mission to drive sustainable response."​

 

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https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/dr-yunus-pledges-joint-efforts-with-un-for-quick-rohingya-repatriation

Dr Yunus pledges joint efforts with UN for quick Rohingya repatriation
UNB
Published :
Mar 15, 2025 00:36
Updated :
Mar 15, 2025 00:36

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday pledged to put in their collective efforts together with the United Nations so that the Rohingyas can celebrate their Eid next year by returning to their own homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

"Let's pray to Almighty Allah.....so that you can celebrate your Eid at your own homes after your return....this Eid we can't," he said after joining iftar with one lakh Rohingyas at Camp 20 Extension of Ukhiya in presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The Chief Adviser delivered his speech in Chattogram's regional language for better communication with the Rohingya.

Dr Yunus said he will also try staying in touch with the UN chief to make that (repatriation of Rohingyas) happen quickly.

The Chief Adviser said Guterres has many responsibilities and but his participation in iftar with the Rohingyas demonstrates the importance he attaches to the Rohingyas.

The Rohingya community urged the Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to facilitate their swift return to their homeland.

Addressing the Rohingyas, Dr Yunus said despite so many crises around the world, including wars in different regions, the UN Secretary-General has come just to listen to the Rohingyas. "For this, we all express our gratitude to him."

He thanked all those involved in organising the event and sought prayers from everyone so that he could work with Guterres to resolve the issue swiftly.

UN Secretary-General Guterres vowed to do everything in his power to prevent further hardship as drastic aid cuts threaten food supplies and other critical relief efforts.

During his visit, he said he had heard two key messages from the refugees: their desire to return safely to Myanmar and their need for better conditions in the camps.

Dr Yunus and the UN chief together returned to Dhaka on Friday night from Cox's Bazar.​

 

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Rohingyas want to celebrate next year’s Eid in Myanmar: Yunus

Rohingyas want to celebrate next year’s Eid back in their homes in Myanmar, said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today.

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Rohingyas want to celebrate next year’s Eid in Myanmar: Yunus

File photo

Rohingyas want to celebrate next year's Eid back in their homes in Myanmar, said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today.

While addressing an iftar party arranged in honour of visiting United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he also sought UN's assistance to combat "misinformation" targeted at Bangladesh.

Quoting the Rohingyas, Yunus said the refugees even mentioned a date when they want to go back.

"They want to invite you [Guterres] back home next year to celebrate Eid with them in their homes [in Myanmar]," Yunus added.

He said Rohingya refugees want to show the whole world that they are not a burden to anyone.

"We can take care of ourselves, and we want to take care of the rest of the world in our own way because we are not somebody's burden," Yunus quoted Rohingyas as saying.

Yunus also said Rohingyas pleaded with him to help them to go back to their homes and families.

They also told the chief adviser that they left behind the graves of fathers, grandfathers, mothers and so on in Myanmar.

"That's our home. We are supposed to stay in this forest land as a guest of a limited time," Yunus further quoted Rohingyas.

On disinformation propaganda against Bangladesh, Yunus sought UN's help.

"We need your support, particularly to battle misinformation. … All we are saying is protect us from misinformation, and we can do the rest," Yunus added.​

 

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Will the UN chief’s visit put the focus back on the Rohingya issue?

The Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camps are about to face a situation worse than they have been enduring.

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Will the UN chief’s visit put the focus back on the Rohingya issue?
UN chief visit impact on Rohingya crisis

Photo: REUTERS

UN Secretary-General António Guterres's ongoing visit to Bangladesh has given us an opportunity to explore international dimensions to our national crises. An editorial in this daily shared optimism over finding a lasting solution to the influx of more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees into our country from Myanmar. Perhaps Friday's iftar with the refugees in the camps in Cox's Bazar would further compel the UN chief to resolve the crisis and reconsider their actions.

The Rohingya refugees in the Cox's Bazar camps are about to face a situation worse than they have been enduring. Funding shortfalls have prompted the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to halve monthly food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh—from $12.50 per person to just $6—from next month. In real terms, $6 a month is about Tk 24 a day—not even enough for a banana and an egg. Bangladesh's recent economic health card is not promising enough to suggest that the host country can bear the burden of these stateless people for a long time without any international assistance. The funding cut is likely to lead to malnutrition, which carries far more dangerous implications. Rohingya leaders and aid workers have already voiced their concerns that the despair is likely to feed militancy.

We have already seen reports of thousands of refugees who, frustrated by poverty, idleness and insecurity, have become prone to armed struggle. A Reuters investigation last year revealed that the promise of income or purpose has drawn many disillusioned young men, leading to the recruitment of 3,000 to 5,000 Rohingya fighters from the refugee camps. Some even joined factions aligned with their former persecutors to fight ethnic rebels, while others engaged in gang violence within the camps. Officials stationed at the Rohingya camps expressed their helplessness, as they know more than anyone the dire consequences of the fund cuts. It's uncertain whether the impact of hunger will soon transcend beyond health and affect stability and peace.

Any immediate solution to the Rohingya crisis is unlikely because of the slow nature of the judicial process. The Gambia, backed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), filed the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2019, holding Myanmar accountable for the 2017 ethnic cleansing. The ICJ has imposed some provisional measures, but the progress has been painstakingly slow due to Myanmar's legal delays. Substantive arguments began in late 2023 when several nations intervened as the idea of genocide concerned them. Bangladesh strategically refrained from any formal involvement, preferring diplomatic solutions through China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for instance. The case is important to keep the global optics on the Rohingya crisis, and we will eventually need all the diplomatic efforts as well as action from the UN Security Council for justice to be delivered. Without sustained international pressure, the Rohingya risk becoming a forgotten crisis, overshadowed by other global events.

The attempts of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Rohingya repatriation have seen hardly any success. The lack of credibility and fund shortage will further exacerbate the situation on the Bangladesh side. This will only add to the security concerns mentioned earlier. A UK government report shows that many of the refugees have fallen prey to human trafficking as they try to leave the country, often using fake Bangladeshi IDs. The relaxation of police verification for obtaining national IDs has made it easier to abuse the system for the refugees. The identification may either help them assimilate into the mainstream Bangladeshi society or explore overseas travels through criminal syndicates. The lack of bare minimum food funds, if unchecked, can have a ripple effect.

We hope that the UN secretary-general's iftar at the Rohingya camps will help him adopt a balanced role, learning from the experience of fund and food shortages in Gaza and their domino effect. The UN must facilitate not only humanitarian aid but also seek sustainable solutions, ensuring refugee rights, upholding community concerns, and pressuring Myanmar for meaningful refugee repatriation. We expect the UN in a more balanced role to remain a credible actor in resolving one of the most prolonged refugee crises in recent history and their geopolitical atrophies.

Dr Shamsad Mortuza is professor of English at Dhaka University.​

 

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World must not forget the Rohingya

UN chief’s call to the international community is heartening

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World must not forget the Rohingya
UN chief’s call to the international community is heartening

We welcome the UN Secretary-General António Guterres' call to the international community to increase funding for the Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. Mentioning that the Rohingya are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis caused by global aid cuts, the UN chief rightly emphasised the international community's obligation to support them. As the UN chief and Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus addressed a large gathering of Rohingya refugees at a camp in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya on Friday and shared iftar with them, he also expressed hope for the safe and dignified return of over one million Rohingya currently stranded in Bangladesh.

The Rohingya refugees living in camps face growing uncertainty as their food rations are being cut due to global funding shortages. The World Food Programme is reportedly reducing its monthly rations from $12.5 to $6 per person starting in April 2025. In 2024, only $554 million—65 percent of the required funds—was provided for these over one million refugees. With the announced cuts in financial assistance, the situation will become even more dire this year. A previous round of ration cuts in 2023, which reduced food rations to $8 per month, led to a sharp increase in hunger and malnutrition. Hence, if monthly food rations are further reduced to $6—approximately Tk 24 per day—it could push the Rohingya refugees to the brink of starvation and even death. Reportedly, nearly 50 percent of the total humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya comes from the US government. Therefore, cuts in US funding will have disastrous consequences for them.

Bangladesh has generously shared its land, forests, limited water, and scarce resources with the refugees. However, it largely depends on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs, including food, education, and healthcare. If these fundamental rights for the Rohingya population cannot be guaranteed due to funding shortages, tensions within the camps are likely to escalate, potentially leading to increased violence, criminal activity, drug trafficking, and other issues. Therefore, we hope the UN chief's call to increase funding for the Rohingya will awaken the global conscience.

The Rohingya refugees cannot remain stuck in limbo forever. Bold and decisive global action is needed to secure a sustainable future for them. To ensure this, the UN and the global community must prioritise the Rohingya issue. They must put pressure on Myanmar to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, and sustainable return of the Rohingya. Until that can be ensured, the international community must step forward with financial assistance. Bangladesh, despite facing many challenges, has done everything in its capacity to support the Rohingyas. It's time for the world to do its part.​

 

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UN considering humanitarian channel from Bangladesh to Myanmar

UN chief Antonio Guterres the organisation is exploring the possibility of a humanitarian aid channel from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

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UN considering humanitarian channel from Bangladesh to Myanmar
AFP
Dhaka
Published: 15 Mar 2025, 22: 25

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks during a press briefing in Dhaka on 25 March 2025. AFP

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Saturday the organisation is exploring the possibility of a humanitarian aid channel from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

Guterres is on a four-day visit to Bangladesh that saw him meet on Friday with Rohingya refugees, threatened by looming humanitarian aid cuts.

Around a million members of the persecuted and mostly Muslim minority live in squalid relief camps in Bangladesh, most of whom arrived after fleeing the 2017 military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar.

"We need to intensify humanitarian aid inside Myanmar to create a condition for that return (of the Rohingyas) to be successful," Guterres said during a press briefing.

Guterres suggested that under the right circumstances, having a "humanitarian channel" from Bangladesh would facilitate the return of the Rohingya community, but said it would require "authorisation and cooperation".

Asked if dialogue with the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic minority rebel group in Myanmar, was essential for the repatriation of Rohingyas, Guterres said: "The Arakan Army is a reality in which we live."

He acknowledged that in the past relations with the AA have been difficult but said, "Necessary dialogue must take place".

Guterres added that engaging with the AA was important as sanctions against the group would require the UN Security Council's approval, which could prove difficult to obtain.

"It's essential to increase pressure from all the neighbours in order to guarantee that fighting ends and the way towards democracy finally established," Guterres said.

The UN chief's remarks came after human rights group Fortify Rights issued a statement urging the Bangladesh government to facilitate humanitarian aid and cross border trade to reach war-affected civilians in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

The AA is engaged in a fierce fight with the military for control of Rakhine, where it has seized swaths of territory in the past year, all but cutting off the state capital Sittwe.

The UN's World Food Programme said on Friday that it will be forced to cut off one million people in war-torn Myanmar from its vital food aid because of "critical funding shortfalls".

The upcoming cuts would hit 100,000 internally displaced people in Rakhine -- including members of the persecuted Rohingya minority -- who will "have no access to food" without its assistance, it said.

Last year, the UN warned that Rakhine faces an "imminent threat of acute famine".​

 

[Saif]

US aid cuts to Myanmar are having catastrophic impact, UN rapporteur says

US cuts to humanitarian aid are having a crushing impact on people in Myanmar, with violence likely to spiral, Thomas Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar told a press briefing in Geneva on Monday. Sudden cuts to food and health programs supporting people

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

US aid cuts to Myanmar are having catastrophic impact, UN rapporteur says
REUTERS
Published :
Mar 18, 2025 00:51
Updated :
Mar 18, 2025 00:51

Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) patrol on a vehicle, next to an area destroyed by Myanmar's airstrike in Myawaddy, the Thailand-Myanmar border town under the control of a coalition of rebel forces led by the Karen National Union, in Myanmar, April 15, 2024. Photo : REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/Files

US cuts to humanitarian aid are having a crushing impact on people in Myanmar, with violence likely to spiral, Thomas Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar told a press briefing in Geneva on Monday.

Sudden cuts to food and health programs supporting people have made an already grave humanitarian situation worse, as airstrikes and violence by the military junta, which seized power in 2021, increase, Andrews said.

"The sudden chaotic withdrawal of support - principally by the US government - is already having a crushing impact on the people of Myanmar," he added.

On taking office on January 20, US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on all foreign assistance pending reviews of whether aid programs conformed with his America First foreign policy.

Recently announced cuts to the World Food Programme could make current conditions even worse, Andrews stated, warning that famine is imminent in Rakhine State, in the west of the country.

People in Myanmar have also lost access to medical care, with some HIV patients unable to take their medication for the last seven weeks due to largely US-funded health programmes, Andrews explained.

"This is a catastrophe that is unfolding - it is unnecessary and it is cruel," said Andrews, who shared findings of a newly published UN report on the human rights situation in Myanmar with reporters in Geneva.

The UN special rapporteur warned that these destabilising conditions will force people into sexual exploitation, human trafficking and will increase the flow of people crossing the Myanmar border into neighbouring Bangladesh or beyond.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military ousted an elected civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering a protest movement that morphed into an armed rebellion against the junta across the Southeast Asian country.​

 

[Saif]

EC granted access to UNHCR’s Rohingya database

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has granted Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) access to its database of registered Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. ASM Humayun Kabir, director general of the EC’s National Identity Registration Wing (NIDW) wing, made

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

EC granted access to UNHCR’s Rohingya database
bdnews24.com
Published :
Mar 19, 2025 21:25
Updated :
Mar 19, 2025 21:25

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has granted Bangladesh’s Election Commission (EC) access to its database of registered Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

ASM Humayun Kabir, director general of the EC’s National Identity Registration Wing (NIDW) wing, made the announcement following a meeting with UNHCR representatives at the EC headquarters in Agargaon on Wednesday.

Officials from both UNHCR’s Geneva office and its Cox’s Bazar operations were present at the discussions.

“We have been trying for a long time to obtain the Rohingya data maintained by UNHCR. The Bangladesh government has been making efforts since 2018,” Kabir said after the meeting.

A memorandum of understanding has already been signed between Bangladesh and the UN refugee agency regarding the exchange of information, he added.

“In this context, UNHCR has agreed to share Rohingya data with us. Today’s discussion was preliminary, focusing on how the data will be shared and utilised.”

The Rohingya crisis escalated in August 2017, when hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State following a military crackdown widely condemned as ethnic cleansing.

Within months, more than 750,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh, joining an estimated 400,000 refugees already sheltering in makeshift camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf.

To facilitate potential repatriation efforts, Bangladesh launched a biometric registration initiative, and by 2018, more than one million Rohingya had been registered.

ELECTION COMMISSION TO RETAIN DATA

According to Kabir, the database of over one million Rohingya refugees will be housed within the EC, with the foreign ministry having agreed to the arrangement.

“The decision has been finalised—this data will remain with the EC,” he said, though he noted that further discussions would be held on the specifics of access and usage.

TECHNICAL TEAM TO OVERSEE IMPLEMENTATION

To streamline the process, a three-party technical team—comprising representatives from the EC, the foreign ministry, and UNHCR—has been established.

Mohammad Ashraf Hossain, the EC’s NID wing system manager, will coordinate the team, which also includes an assistant secretary from the foreign ministry and a UNHCR representative.

Kabir indicated that the team’s first meeting is scheduled for next week.

“Once we have the data, we will be able to use it for our work. I have told them our urgency,” he said.​

 

[Saif]

Rohingyas are victims of racial discrimination

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday called for global action against racial injustice and highlighted the plight of the Rohingyas, who remain victims of racial discrimination and prolonged statelessness.

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Rohingyas are victims of racial discrimination
Says Prof Yunus

File photo

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday called for global action against racial injustice and highlighted the plight of the Rohingyas, who remain victims of racial discrimination and prolonged statelessness.

Since 2017, Bangladesh has sheltered over a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas, but their repatriation to Myanmar remains the only sustainable solution to this protracted crisis, he said in a message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The global community must engage actively to ensure their early repatriation to their homeland in Myanmar, Yunus said.

On this occasion, Bangladesh reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance in all its forms.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

"As a state party to ICERD, Bangladesh upholds non-discrimination as a core principle of governance and society," said the chief adviser.​