Cox's Bazar:The NGO Platform in Cox's Bazar has called for sustained international solidarity, stronger community leadership, and investments in resilience and host communities as the Rohingya humanitarian response approaches its tenth year.
According to United News of Bangladesh, this call was made during a high-level roundtable titled 'Towards Ten Years of Solidarity: From Emergency Response to Sustainable Solutions.' This event brought together government representatives, Rohingya community leaders, host-community representatives, UN agencies, donors, and various NGOs and civil society members in Cox's Bazar.
The discussions at the roundtable centered on lessons learned from nine years of humanitarian response, addressing the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees and host communities, and transitioning from a prolonged humanitarian crisis to sustainable solutions. Participants emphasized the importance of collective efforts to tackle evolving challenges and explored strengthening the dignity, resilience, and agency of affected communities.
A key takeaway was the importance of shaping solutions with affected communities rather than solely for them. The participation of Rohingya representatives and host-community leaders alongside government authorities, NGOs, and development partners was crucial in bringing community perspectives into future priorities.
The roundtable included two strategic sessions. The first examined current needs and priorities, involving Rohingya community representatives, NGOs, civil society, and media representatives. The second session involved government and UN representatives in discussions on resilience, collective action, and durable solutions.
Participants stressed the need to maintain international attention and solidarity while strengthening the dignity, resilience, and agency of affected communities. As the response nears the ten-year milestone, the NGO Platform advocates for stronger localization and community leadership, increased investment in resilience and host communities, and continued efforts towards durable solutions that uphold the rights, safety, and dignity of Rohingya refugees.
The dialogue also highlighted the importance of focusing on the aspirations of Rohingya children and young people, especially regarding their access to protection, education, skills, and meaningful opportunities.
The roundtable concluded with a collective recognition of the ongoing responsibility of governments, humanitarian and development actors, donors, civil society, host communities, and Rohingya communities in addressing the crisis. The NGO Platform emphasized the need to protect the dignity and aspirations of Rohingya communities and to keep international solidarity alive while pursuing sustainable and durable solutions.
Hosted by Plan International Bangladesh since May 2026, the NGO Platform currently represents 182 local, national, and international NGOs working in the Rohingya response.