This week marks five years since more than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled military persecution from Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said.
“The latest exodus from Myanmar is now officially defined as being a protracted situation,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told journalists at a regular press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. Since the onset of the humanitarian crisis, the Bangladesh Government, local communities and aid agencies have been quick to assist refugees arriving in what is now the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, UN News reported.
Many Rohingya there continue to tell UNHCR that they wish to return home to Myanmar – so long as conditions for safe, dignified and sustainable returns are met and they can enjoy freedom of movement, access to documentation and a pathway to citizenship.
They also underscore the importance of accessing services and income-generating activities.
For the almost one million stateless Rohingya refugees, conditions in Bangladesh are extremely overcrowded, and they remain fully dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival.
“With decreased funding, they face many challenges in their daily lives,” said Mantoo, citing multiple humanitarian assessment surveys that found proper nutrition, shelter materials, sanitation facilities, and livelihood opportunities to be among the most commonly unmet needs include.
“Some have resorted to dangerous boat journeys to seek a better future.”
The UNHCR spokesperson also pointed out that violent incidents, especially for women, children, and people with disabilities, are often under-reported. She said that violence against children and women.