Christos ChristouChristos Christou
With the commemoration of World Refugee Day, I find myself grappling with a painful question: What kind of future awaits the children and young people living in refugee camps like the one in Cox’s Bazar?
By early 2025, more than 120 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced, often living under precarious conditions.
Conversations with Rohingya refugees this week highlighted core issues faced by refugee families globally, particularly concerning their children’s well-being and future. Without access to formal education or employment opportunities, what prospects do these children have?
The number of forcibly displaced individuals continues to rise, underscoring the urgency of these questions for refugees, hosts, and humanitarians alike. We are witnessing a deeply troubling situation with limited prospects for a decent life.
Rohingya parents repeatedly expressed concerns about their children’s future, especially their lack of educational opportunities. Despite ongoing denial of legal status, restrictions on education, and limited freedom of movement, their frustration and determination were palpable.
My colleagues in the camps observed alarming trends in mental health issues, including a near doubling of attempted suicides over two years. Clearly, prolonged containment entails severe psychological consequences beyond physical barriers like security fences.
Despite the determination of both parents and children to make the most of their difficult circumstances, their future remains profoundly uncertain. The Rohingya have endured immense hardship, but mere survival cannot be the limit of our collective response.
Amid these challenges, I witnessed a powerful testament to Bangladeshi solidarity. Our refugee and Bangladeshi staff work side-by-side in clinics, delivering life-saving care not only to Rohingya refugees but also to the host community, which now comprises roughly one-fifth of MSF’s patients. This collaboration speaks volumes about our shared humanity.
Additional challenges stem from containment. Colleagues report increasing patient complexity due to persistent hygiene issues, with rising cases of waterborne illnesses and gastroenteritis.
Violence within the camps is escalating, including intimate partner violence and criminal activity. Women, especially, face greater vulnerabilities to gender-based violence, a silent yet urgent crisis within these restricted settings.
Shrinking humanitarian budgets compound this crisis. While MSF continues its work with around $25 million a year, many organizations are scaling back vital services, threatening already overstretched resources.
This reduction causes genuine fear among the people about what will happen next.
Amidst these challenges, I witnessed the start of a new Hepatitis C test-and-treat program. Over the next two years, MSF aims to diagnose and treat around 30,000 patients, addressing one of the many silent health threats in the camps. This positive step involves door-to-door screenings right inside the camps, and we’re optimistic about reaching numerous patients.
Conversations on repatriation occurred, but safe, voluntary, and dignified return to Myanmar remains a distant hope. A bold and humane shift in strategy is needed — one that moves beyond camp containment and aid dependency.
The Rohingya deserve more than survival; we must tackle structural exclusion, statelessness, and containment head-on.
Simultaneously, conditions in the camps must be made more dignified, especially for the more than 118,000 recent arrivals.
The burden of this crisis should not fall on Bangladesh alone. Donors and the international community must support Bangladesh in responding to these urgent needs. On this World Refugee Day, we must look beyond the fences, not just with sympathy, but with concrete action.
Dr Christos Christou is MSF’s International President.
