Each 25 August marks another year since the mass displacement of Rohingya communities to Bangladesh in 2017. Eight years have now passed. Today, over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remain in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, Bangladesh.
Despite the generosity of host communities, the Rohingyas continue to face increasing protection risks, deteriorating health conditions, and limited access to essential services.
In the past 18 months, over 150,000 new Rohingya refugees have been forced to flee to Bangladesh. Many remain unregistered and live in overcrowded conditions, placing additional pressure on already overstretched humanitarian services.
Bangladesh has not passed legislation to address the rights of refugees or asylum seekers. Consequently, Rohingya who arrived after 2017 have not been granted refugee status. The identification documents they receive are used primarily for humanitarian aid, not for legal recognition.
As of 21 July 2025, the Joint Response Plan (JRP) 2025–2026 for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh is only 35 per cent funded. Out of the USD 934.5 million required to meet the Rohingyas’ humanitarian needs, just USD 325.1 million has been received.
Here are eight things you should know about the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh…
1. Protection and safety concerns in the camps remain high
Since 2024, over 60 per cent of the concerns reported in the camps have been related to safety, abductions, forced recruitment and killings. Protection risks are driven by both internal tensions and external pressures. Organised groups with links to the armed conflict exert influence over refugees and their leaders. The likelihood of more people fleeing to Bangladesh in order to seek safety remains high.
The humanitarian response faces severe funding shortages, particularly for protection activities. This significantly hampers efforts to protect vulnerable people, especially women and children at heightened risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.
2. Gender-based violence prevention is under threat
We’ve seen real progress in gender-based violence prevention. But key activities, including engaging men and boys, programmes for adolescents, and complaint response mechanisms are often the first to be affected by funding cuts – putting long-term change at risk.
3. People with disabilities are being left behind
Despite ongoing efforts, 79 per cent of Rohingya refugees with disabilities struggle to access essential services such as healthcare, education, shelter and protection. Alarmingly, more than 30 per cent report being excluded from protection efforts entirely.
Women are particularly affected. One in three Rohingya women with disabilities face unsafe, risky or inaccessible routes to safe spaces. Disability inclusion is too often missing when services are being planned and delivered. It must be practised across all sectors.
4. Health services are collapsing
Following recent aid cuts, over 300,000 people are losing access to care. Women and girls lack sexual and reproductive health services, leading to high maternal mortality rates. Chronic diseases like diabetes affect around 15 per cent of the population, and mental health needs go untreated.
Cholera is spreading and severe child malnutrition is up 27 per cent. The child mortality rate is alarming, with mortality for children under five exceeding 30 per cent, primarily due to malnutrition and preventable diseases.
A Rohingya child is tested in the camp. The risk of malnutrition in the camps remains high, with a 27 per cent spike in cases this February. Photo: IRC
5. Education is in crisis
The education situation was already dire prior to 2025, but it has now deteriorated even further. Earlier this year, nearly 230,000 Rohingya children were affected by severe funding cuts that led to the closure of learning centres and the dismissal of over 1,100 teachers . While some centres have since reopened and a portion of teachers been rehired, services remain limited and fragile.
Children continue to reuse old materials, and foundational subjects like English and science are still missing from many classrooms. Without sustained and predictable funding, these modest gains risk being reversed, leaving an entire generation behind.
6. Education strategies must take youth into account
Young people in the camps face major challenges. Nearly 90 per cent of Rohingya youth are excluded from education and skills training. This not only deprives them of opportunities to learn and grow but also leaves them facing a future with few options.
At the same time, many young people are struggling with mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These challenges are deeply interconnected: without education and hope for the future, mental health deteriorates, and without mental wellbeing, learning becomes even more difficult. Urgent, holistic action is needed to ensure that these young people are not left behind.
7. Climate change is threatening lives
Climate change is intensifying the hardships faced by Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with frequent floods, landslides and cyclones destroying shelters and vital services. Initiatives like lime-stabilised soil shelters, fire-resistant schools, and climate-resilient healthcare facilities are essential to ensure safety and dignity and build resilience.
8. Housing and legal rights services must be easily accessible
In 2025, evictions within the camps have surged by 116 per cent, displacing thousands and depriving them of legal protections. Rohingya refugees face bureaucratic challenges and legal exclusion that prevent them from obtaining civil documentation and securing their housing, land and property rights. Without formal agreements, they are also highly vulnerable to arbitrary rent increases and evictions.
Evicted individuals, especially women, girls, older people and people with disabilities, face heightened risks of exploitation. There is a critical need for improved access to legal and justice services to protect these vulnerable groups.
The Rohingya crisis remains one of the most complex and prolonged humanitarian emergencies in the world. As protection risks rise and essential services decline, the need for sustained support and international solidarity is more urgent than ever.
Through the Protection Consortium, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion (HI), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) are working side by side to ensure that Rohingya refugees have access to protection, dignity, and hope.
This work is made possible thanks to the generous support of European Union (EU) Humanitarian Aid and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
