Funding Crisis Threatens Rohingya Refugee Support in Bangladesh

Key services supporting the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh are on the brink of collapse, the United Nations warned, as their appeal for $255 million in support remains largely unfunded. The camps, home to over one million Rohingya, are the largest refugee settlement in the world.

According to Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for the UNHCR, the sizable funding gap threatens to undermine the daily lives of these refugees who depend on aid for essentials such as food, health, and education. Global funding for humanitarian efforts has diminished, particularly from major Western donors prioritizing defense spending amid geopolitical strains.

Without immediate funding, crucial services could halt by year's end, with healthcare disruptions and food aid cessation. An estimated 150,000 refugees have fled Myanmar's violence to Bangladesh in the past 18 months, continuing a mass exodus that began in 2017, when violence forced 750,000 Rohingya to seek refuge.

(With inputs from agencies.)