In 2017, Myanmar’s military launched a campaign against the Rohingya people, a persecuted ethnic minority. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh—many escaping with only the clothes on their backs.
Today, over one million Rohingya refugees reside in overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Without freedom to work or leave the camp, families rely almost entirely on humanitarian aid to survive.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is on the ground in Myanmar and Bangladesh, providing lifesaving support to Rohingya communities.
Who are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in Southeast Asia who have lived in Myanmar for hundreds of years. Despite this long history, in 1982 the Myanmar (then Burma) government passed a law that effectively stripped Rohingya of their citizenship. To this day, the Rohingya continue to be deprived of citizenship, making them a largely stateless people.
This systemic discrimination has left the Rohingya vulnerable to violence, displacement and extreme poverty.
The Rohingya Crisis, explained
The Rohingya have endured decades of discrimination and attacks in Myanmar. In 2017, this persecution escalated into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
After a Rohingya insurgent group attacked police outposts in Rakhine State, the Myanmar military launched a massive crackdown—not just on combatants, but on entire communities.
Thousands were killed and more than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar reported that “soldiers murdered, raped, and tortured Rohingya civilians and burned Rohingya villages to the ground.”
A Rohingya refugee and mother holds her child in her arms.
What do the Rohingya face today?
Nearly a decade after widespread violence erupted, the Rohingya refugee crisis is far from over. An estimated 200,000 Rohingya could flee to Bangladesh by the end of 2025, further straining an already underfunded and overstretched humanitarian response. Today, more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, where they face heightened risks of malnutrition, disease and insecurity.
Despite continued persecution and threats of violence, some Rohingya remain in Myanmar.
Life in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee camp
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, is home to the largest refugee camp in the world and hosts more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees who have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar. That’s more than the entire population of Washington D.C., all of whom are forced to live in abysmal conditions.
Every day, Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar face immense challenges, including:
- Severe overcrowding
- Limited access to clear water, health care and sanitation
- High rates of malnutrition
- Constant risk of exploitation and insecurity
Rohingya refugees do not have the legal right to freely leave the camp or work, forcing them to rely on humanitarian aid for survival. Children born in the camp have never known a life of peace, safety or opportunity.
An IRC staff member walks through the crowded streets of Cox’s Bazar refugee camp.
Aid cuts are putting Rohingya at risk
Humanitarian aid is a lifeline to Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar. However, recent U.S. aid cuts are putting critical services in jeopardy. The abrupt closure of learning centers in Cox’s Bazar is particularly alarming and will leave nearly 500,000 children without access to education.
Abdul, who attends an IRC education program in Cox’s Bazar, worries for his future: “Without studying in learning centers or schools, I will not be able to become a doctor in the future. Please do everything that is required to make us educated so that we can change the fate of our society.”
For children in crisis, education reduces the risk of child labor, trafficking and early marriage—harms that disproportionately impact girls and undermine children’s protection and wellbeing. Between January and August 2025, there has been a 3% increase in reported cases of child marriage and a 7% increase in reports of child labor. We know that incidents of gender-based violence and child abuse are gravely under-reported in humanitarian settings, particularly in Cox’s Bazar.
