Amnesty International (AI) has urged United Nations member states to step up humanitarian efforts for the Rohingya, warning that more than 1.2 million refugees in Cox’s Bazar face critical shortages of food, healthcare, education and shelter.
In a briefing released Friday ahead of the UN high-level conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar scheduled for 30 September, Amnesty International said aid cuts and rising insecurity have pushed the community “to the brink.”
The organisation said drastic funding reductions following the dismantling of USAID earlier this year have left only 35 percent of the humanitarian response in Bangladesh funded. “Cox’s Bazar is ground zero for the impact of budget cuts on people in desperate need,” Amnesty quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres as saying during his visit in March
Amnesty documented worsening malnutrition among children, overcrowded and unsafe shelters, limited access to healthcare and growing insecurity inside the camps. It warned that the closure of learning centres due to funding shortages has left around 300,000 children at risk of being deprived of education. Women and girls face heightened risks of gender-based violence while kidnappings and extortion have spread fear among camp residents
The group called on UN member states to fully fund the 2025 Joint Response Plan, expand education and livelihood opportunities, strengthen protection for women and children, and provide resettlement options. It also urged Bangladesh to halt forced returns, allow Rohingya access to jobs and education outside the camps, and ensure border authorities respect the principle of non-refoulement for new arrivals
Amnesty stressed that long-term solutions require pressure on Myanmar to end hostilities in Rakhine State and recognise the Rohingya’s rights, including citizenship. It also demanded meaningful participation of Rohingya refugees in decisions affecting their future.
