Dhaka: Nine years after brutal military attacks in Myanmar that triggered the mass displacement of the Rohingya, they continue to face grave human rights violations and a dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar and across the region, UN experts warned on Tuesday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the ongoing conflict, persecution, and denial of citizenship undermine any prospects for safe, voluntary, and sustainable return for Rohingya refugees, while driving further refugee movements across the region. UN experts expressed alarm over the constant threat of violence and persecution faced by the Rohingya in Myanmar, where ongoing conflict and entrenched discrimination have exposed them to mass displacement and atrocity crimes committed by both the military and the Arakan Army, in violation of international law.
The experts highlighted that the humanitarian situation is worsening amid funding cuts, with the Rohingya population suffering from poverty, acute food insecurity, preventable diseases, and inadequate living conditions. Reports indicate that more than 1.6 million Rohingya refugees remained outside Myanmar at the end of 2025, with the majority living in Bangladesh and others in India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
While conditions vary across host countries, the Rohingya continue to face the risk of forced return, prolonged arbitrary detention, racist hate speech, and severe barriers to education, healthcare, and livelihoods. The situation is particularly concerning in Bangladesh, where critical funding shortfalls have resulted in major reductions in humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, deepening vulnerability and hardship.
The deteriorating conditions are leaving Rohingya refugees, especially women and girls, increasingly vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, and gender-based violence, forcing many to undertake perilous journeys across the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, putting their lives at grave risk. The experts emphasized that the international community cannot allow the Rohingya to become a forgotten people, as many remain without citizenship, protection, or meaningful prospects for a dignified future.
They called for urgent action by all parties to the conflict in Myanmar to protect the Rohingya from ongoing violence, forced recruitment, displacement, and other serious human rights violations, and to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access. The experts urged host countries to refrain from forcibly deporting and returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, where they would risk serious human rights violations and abuses.
The experts include a wide range of special rapporteurs and working group members focused on minority issues, international order, racism, poverty, freedom of religion, migrant rights, health standards, violence against women, arbitrary detention, and discrimination against women and girls. They stressed the importance of ensuring that all Rohingya are treated in accordance with international human rights standards and granted access to essential services without discrimination.