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Emergencies

ROHINGYA REFUGEE CRISIS

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More than 960,000 Rohingya were forced to seek refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017 (as of June 2023).

75%

of Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers are women and children.

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Rohingya refugees are in need of humanitarian assistance after Cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh in May 2023.

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Right now, war and violence have forced more than 100 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. 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 more than 960,000 people to seek refuge in Bangladesh—the majority of whom are women and children. More than one million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar in successive waves of displacement since the 1990s. A majority of stateless Rohingya refugees (90 percent) live in Bangladesh and Malaysia.

Today, more than 930,000 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.”

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. 

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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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