Rohingya Refugees Face Prolonged Crisis as UN Urges Safe and Dignified Return to Myanmar

 

September 23, 2026

Nearly a decade after the mass displacement of Rohingya people from Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of refugees remain in Bangladesh with little prospect of returning home safely.

Senior United Nations officials have renewed calls for a long-term solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis, stressing that humanitarian assistance alone cannot resolve a displacement crisis that has lasted for years.

With around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees currently in Bangladesh, UN officials warned that an entire generation is growing up away from their homeland while conflict and insecurity continue inside Myanmar.

Rohingya Return to Myanmar Still Not Safe

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said conditions for a voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar do not currently exist.

Speaking at a high-level event held alongside the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Salih emphasized that refugees need more than temporary humanitarian support. Any eventual return, he said, must provide Rohingya people with fundamental rights and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

The Rohingya crisis escalated dramatically in August 2017, when a Myanmar military crackdown in Rakhine State forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to cross into Bangladesh.

Most of those refugees remain in Bangladesh nearly nine years later.

A Generation Growing Up in Refugee Camps

The prolonged displacement is having a particularly significant impact on children and young people.

Julie Bishop, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar, highlighted the fact that children born around the beginning of the crisis have now spent their entire childhood in displacement.

More than 30,000 children are estimated to be born in the refugee camps each year, according to the UN official cited at the event.

For young people, years without a clear future are contributing to growing frustration and uncertainty.

Women and girls are also facing heightened risks, including gender-based violence involving armed groups and criminal networks. At the same time, access to protection and support services is becoming increasingly limited.

Funding Shortfalls Put Refugees at Greater Risk

Bangladesh has received international recognition for hosting the Rohingya population, but UN officials warned that the humanitarian response is under increasing financial pressure.

Reduced funding can directly affect food assistance, education, healthcare and other essential services in the camps.

UN officials cautioned that declining humanitarian resources could deepen the vulnerability of refugees and increase the risks of exploitation, human trafficking, forced recruitment and dangerous attempts to travel by sea.

The situation also places additional pressure on the communities and infrastructure surrounding the refugee settlements.

Bangladesh Calls for a Political Solution

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman highlighted the wider social, economic and security consequences of prolonged displacement.

According to his remarks at the UN event, continued uncertainty has contributed to risks including human trafficking, migrant smuggling, drug trafficking and other forms of cross-border crime.

Bangladesh has repeatedly called for stronger international efforts to resolve the crisis and facilitate the eventual return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

The prime minister stressed that Bangladesh cannot be expected to carry the responsibility of hosting such a large refugee population indefinitely.

He also emphasized that because the crisis originated in Myanmar, a lasting solution must ultimately be found there.

UN Warns of Continued