More than eight years after over 750,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar for sprawling camps in Bangladesh, the crisis remains unresolved. On Tuesday, world leaders, UN officials, and civil society groups will convene in New York for a high-level summit to confront not just the humanitarian emergency but the geopolitical deadlock that perpetuates it.
The stakes for the conference, part of the UN General Assembly’s annual week of high-level discussions, could hardly be higher: shrinking aid budgets and intensifying conflict inside Myanmar leave one of the world’s most persecuted minorities in limbo. Delegates are expected to address human rights and minority protections of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, while exploring political, social, and security measures to ensure the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya and other refugees. Meanwhile, the flow of those fleeing has not ebbed, with traumatized Rohingya continuing to arrive in southern Bangladesh, adding new scars to an already deep human suffering.
The Rohingya, a Muslim minority long denied citizenship and basic rights in Myanmar, fled waves of violence that culminated in 2017 with what was described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Crossing into Bangladesh, they found emergency shelter in what is now arguably the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar. But what began as a temporary response has metastasized into a protracted crisis, with few Rohingya seeing a safe path back to Myanmar, where the ruling military junta continues to persecute minorities and faces its own armed rebellion.
In Bangladesh, opportunities for education and work remain limited, while security incidents, trafficking, and tensions with host communities intensify the strain. Addressing the General Assembly’s annual debate, Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, warned of a critical funding shortfall that may deepen hunger and desperation among the Rohingya if not addressed urgently.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who visited Cox’s Bazar earlier this year, emphasized the need for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. However, until conflict and systematic persecution end, such returns remain impossible. The deepening political crisis in Myanmar, following a military coup in 2021, has led to widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian needs across the country, affecting ethnic minorities disproportionately.
Hope, courage, and resilience are evident among the affected population, as highlighted by UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews. As world leaders gather in New York, the real challenge lies in whether there is the political will to resolve a crisis that symbolizes global drift and despair. The Rohingya refugee crisis serves as a stark reminder of the collective failure to find lasting solutions to one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges of our time.
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