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Emergencies

ROHINGYA REFUGEE CRISIS

1M

Rohingya refugees have sought refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017 (as of August 2024).

75%

of Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers are women and children (as of August 2024).

2.6M

People were internally displaced in Myanmar by the end of 2023 (as of August 2024).

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Right now, war and violence have forced more than 120 million people to flee their homes. Sign up to learn how you can help!

About the Rohingya Crisis

The Rohingya people have suffered decades of violence, discrimination and persecution in Myanmar, previously known as Burma. As a Muslim ethnic minority living in a predominantly Buddhist country, the Rohingya are not recognized as an official ethnic group and have been denied citizenship since 1982, making them the world's largest stateless population. A majority of stateless Rohingya refugees (98 percent) live in Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Since the early 1990's, the Rohingya have fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar. Their largest and fastest exodus began in August 2017 when violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, driving nearly one million people to seek refuge in Bangladesh—the majority of whom are women and children. By the end of 2023, there were more than 2.6 million internally displaced people (IDP) in the country. An additional 1.3 million refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar are hosted in other countries.

Today, nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees have settled in and around Kutupalong and Nayapara refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar region, which have grown to become the largest and most densely populated camps in the world. Conditions in the camps are challenging and local infrastructure and services have been stretched to their limits. The United Nations has described the Rohingya as “the most persecuted minority in the world.”

Humanitarian aid remains critical, with 95 percent of Rohingya households in Bangladesh dependent on humanitarian assistance. More than half of the refugees in the camps are under 18 and have limited opportunities for education, skills-building and livelihoods. Rohingya refugees are risking their lives on dangerous sea routes to Indonesia and Malaysia, which have been described as among the deadliest in the world. In 2023, one Rohingya died or went missing for every eight who attempted the journey.

In May 2023, Cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh and Myanmar — one of the strongest cyclones ever to hit the region. More than 10 million people were impacted by Cyclone Mocha in both Bangladesh and Myanmar, including 930,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. 

VIDEO

Rohingya refugees are fleeing Myanmar at a staggering rate.

How to Help Rohingya Refugees

UNHCR is on the ground in Bangladesh aiding Rohingya refugees, but resources are stretched too thin. Your gift will offer hope for a safe future.

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What is UNHCR doing to help Rohingya refugees?

The UN Refugee Agency has been working with partners in support of the Bangladeshi government to ensure an adequate response to the growing humanitarian needs and the protection of Rohingya refugees. Some of UNHCR’s activities in the field include the registration of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, the distribution of shelter and lifesaving relief items -such as blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets and jerry cans - as well as as supporting the construction of water and sanitation facilities. Education, healthcare and activities to prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) have also been a key priority to UNHCR.

During the monsoon season, which falls from June to October each year, UNHCR supports activities to mitigate the effects of the torrential rains, which include helping refugees reinforce their shelters, relocating those who are in dangerous locations and conducting improvements to drainage systems and slope stabilization work.

Learn more about What We Do.

Rohingya Refugee Camps and Settlements

Portrait of Rohingya family sitting inside their shelter in Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh

More Facts About the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

  • Women and children, who make up more than 75 percent of the targeted refugee population, face higher risks of abuse, exploitation and gender-based violence.
  • More than half of the refugees in the camps are under 18.
  • 45 percent of Rohingya families are not eating a sufficiently healthy diet and malnutrition is widespread.

Stories from the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

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Rohingya Refugee Crisis Explained

In August 2017, violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, forcing nearly one million Rohingya to flee their homes and seek refuge in Bangladesh. Today the number of arrivals continue to grow.

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UNHCR is facing an unprecedented $700 million funding gap that threatens to cut essential services across its operations. Learn more about six of UNHCR’s 12 most underfunded emergencies.

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Meet 3 refugees who are giving back through volunteer work

These refugees and resettled refugees aren’t just integrating into their new communities, they’re actively giving back to the people around them.

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Rohingya boy learns language of photography

Five years after a Pulitzer-Prize winning photo made him the face of the Rohingya refugee crisis, a young refugee has taken up a camera himself.

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