Rohingya influx hits 1.5 lakh in 18 months

Bangladesh has received nearly 150,000 Rohingyas over the past 18 months, marking the largest influx since 2017, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The arrivals, driven by targeted violence and persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine state, have placed further strain on the already overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, where nearly 1.1 million Rohingyas are being sheltered in just 24 square kilometres -- making it one of the world's most densely populated refugee settlements, the UN Refugee Agency posted on its website yesterday.

UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch, at a press briefing in Geneva, said 121,000 of the new arrivals have been biometrically registered, while many others remain undocumented within the camps. The majority are women and children.

"There is a huge gap in terms of what we need and what resources are available. These funding gaps will affect the daily living of Rohingya refugees as they depend on humanitarian support on a daily basis for food, health and education," Baloch told reporters.

The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding reductions from major donors, led by the US under President Donald Trump and other Western countries, as they prioritise defence spending prompted by growing fears of Russia and China, reports Reuters.

"With the acute global funding crisis, the critical needs of both newly arrived refugees and those already present will be unmet, and essential services for the whole Rohingya refugee population are at risk of collapsing unless additional funds are secured," Baloch said.

The refugee response is facing a critical funding shortfall, with UNHCR's appeal for $255 million only 35 percent funded. Without additional support, health services could collapse by September, and food assistance may cease by December, affecting 230,000 children, including 63,000 recent arrivals, the agency warned.

Baloch added that the situation is fuelling desperation and anxiety, prompting some to undertake dangerous sea journeys in search of safety.

Despite the border with Myanmar remaining officially closed, the Bangladesh government authorised emergency assistance for the new arrivals. UNHCR and its partners have called on Dhaka to continue providing managed access to asylum, while urging the international community to step up support.

Bangladesh has long been praised for its generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees, but officials and aid agencies warn that without sustained global solidarity, the humanitarian response may falter.