Seven years of Rohingya influx: UNHCR reminds need for international solidarity

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) once again called for sustained commitment from international partners to support the protection of over one million Rohingyas hosted by Bangladesh, and help secure solutions for a lasting end to their plight.

In a statement issued today to commemorate seven years since the Rohingya influx into Bangladesh, the UNHCR highlighted that on 25 August 2017, around 700,000 Rohingya men, women, and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh, joining those who had fled in previous years.

The generosity by the government and the people of Bangladesh in providing the Rohingya temporary refuge was supported by the international community and has been critical in meeting the refugees' protection and basic needs, alongside assistance provided to local hosting communities, the statement said.

But in recent months' security issues and funding uncertainties undermine all but the most critical and life-saving assistance, said the UN agency.

The UNHCR welcomed Bangladesh's renewed commitment to the refugees, set forth in Dhaka recently by Dr Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government.

The UNHCR echoed Dr Yunus's call for continued solidarity from the international community through consistent financial support and helping to ensure their "eventual repatriation to Myanmar, with safety, dignity and full rights."

Bangladesh's humanitarian spirit, at a time of transition for the Bangladeshi people, deserves global appreciation, as per the UN agency.

In Myanmar's Rakhine state, the escalated conflict has only worsened conditions for the Rohingya. Many remain stateless with limited access to higher education and jobs, and vulnerable to violence. Yet refugees in Bangladesh continue to say that they long to return to their homes and villages when it is safe to do so, it added.

Mentioning that a dignified and sustainable return of Rohingyas to Myanmar remains the primary solution to this crisis, the UNHCR said, "We call on the international community to demonstrate the political will to make this possible. We also call on the Bangladesh authorities to ensure that civilians fleeing the violence in Myanmar be allowed access to protection in Bangladesh."