A joint clarion call comes from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UN refugee agency UNHCR and partners for the international community to enhance support for Rohingya refugees and their hosts in Bangladesh amid rising insecurity in Myanmar and ongoing forced displacements.
"Unrelenting conflict in Myanmar, dwindling financial resources and competing global crises have made it critical for the international community to step up for the Rohingya refugees, who remain in a precarious situation, entirely dependent on humanitarian aid," said a spokesperson conveying the appeal on Monday.
The 2025-26 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis brings together 113 partners and is being jointly launched by the IOM and the UNHCR under the leadership of the Bangladesh government.
This first-ever multi-year funding appeal for the Rohingya response seeks US$934.5 million in its first year to reach some 1.48 million people, including Rohingya refugees and host communities.
The JRP is being presented to donors in Geneva by Amy Pope, IOM Director-General, Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Khalilur Rahman, High Representative to the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh on Rohingya Issues and Priority Affairs.
In its eighth year, the Rohingya humanitarian crisis remains largely out of the international spotlight but needs remain urgent.
More than 50 per cent of the population in the camps comprises women and girls who face a higher risk of gender-based violence and exploitation, while one in three Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is aged between 10 and 24. Without access to formal education, adequate skills building and self-reliance opportunities, their futures remain on hold, it is stated.
"Any funding shortfalls in critical areas, including reductions in food assistance, cooking fuels or basic shelter, will have dire consequences for this highly vulnerable population and may force many to resort to desperate measures, such as embarking on dangerous boat journeys to seek safety," the call for enhanced aid says.
"Until the situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State is peaceful and conducive to returning safely and voluntarily, the international community must continue to fund lifesaving assistance to refugees in the camps, including protection, shelter, and basic needs, and support opportunities that enable them to be self-reliant."
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