(Updated 8 April 2026) Over one million and three hundred thousand Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar, have fled conflict and persecution in multiple waves of displacement. The most significant exodus occurred in August 2017 when 742,000 ethnic Rohingya fled military persecution in Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh. Those fleeing violence and attacks joined around 300,000 individuals who had previously sought refuge in Bangladesh. Currently, the region is home to 1.3 million Rohingya refugees who rely entirely on humanitarian assistance for protection, food, water, shelter and health. As of 30 March 2026 3,7 million are internally displaced (IDPs) nationwide, most since the military takeover.
Who are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority, have lived for centuries in Myanmar, mostly in Rakhine state, the poorest region of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Despite their historical presence, the Rohingya lack official recognition as an ethnic community. Many Rohingya have no legal identity or citizenship, with statelessness a significant issue. Since 1982, they have been denied citizenship, leading to them becoming the world’s largest stateless population. This lack of official recognition leaves Rohingya families without basic rights and protection, making them susceptible to exploitation, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and various forms of abuse. A majority of stateless Rohingya refugees (98%) currently reside in Bangladesh and Malaysia.
What is the crisis About?
The Rohingya have endured decades of persecution and discrimination in Myanmar, prompting over 1 million Rohingya refugees to flee violence in successive waves of displacement since the 1990s. The most significant exodus began in August 2017 after widespread violence erupted in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, driving more than 742,000 individuals, mainly women and children, to seek refuge in Bangladesh. During this period, there were widespread reports of human rights violations: entire villages burned to the ground, numerous families suffered fatalities or separations, and many embarked on dangerous sea voyages across the Bay of Bengal in search of safety in Bangladesh. Currently, about one million and Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh, one of the world’s most densely populated camp areas.
Myanmar is facing a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over alleged violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention in relation to its treatment of the Rohingya. The case was brought in November 2019 by The Gambia, acting on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Cox’s Bazar – the largest refugee settlement in the world
The majority of Rohingya refugees reside across 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar, forming the largest refugee settlement globally. The overcrowded conditions in the camps are incredibly challenging for women and children who face high risks of violence, exploitation, and human trafficking. Ensuring a secure habitat for refugees remains a persistent challenge, especially regarding safeguarding against natural disasters such as floods and landslides during the monsoon season from June to October. Moreover, during this period, inadequate water and sanitation facilities heighten the risk of waterborne diseases like hepatitis, acute diarrhoea, and dengue among the refugee population.
Humanitarian challenges in Myanmar
Myanmar descended into civil war following the military coup of February 2021 and the detention of civilian leaders, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. In 2026 Myanmar still faces a dire humanitarian crisis, affecting one-third of its population – approximately 19.9 million people– who urgently require humanitarian assistance. This staggering figure represents nearly nineteen times the pre-military takeover estimates, underscoring the severity of the situation. The military coup and subsequent violent repression have exacerbated the suffering of minority communities, including the Rohingya Muslims, plunging the nation into deep social, political, and economic turmoil.
Since October 2023, clashes between the military and armed opposition factions have escalated and spread throughout Myanmar, intensifying the human rights emergency. The military’s actions, including the targeting of civilians and forced recruitment campaigns, have led to widespread displacement, with over 3.7 million people now displaced nationwide. In Rakhine State, the escalation of violence between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, a separatist group, has reached an unprecedented intensity, aggravating existing vulnerabilities.
As of the latest consolidated humanitarian assessments (2025–early 2026), around 15–17 million people in Myanmar are food insecure, meaning they do not have reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. After conflict escalation and the March 2025 earthquake, some assessments indicate the number may have risen to around 16.7 million people, roughly 29–30% of the population.
Moreover, the breakdown in the rule of law in Myanmar has allowed illicit economies to thrive. The country has become a hub for methamphetamine and opium production, as well as the rapid growth of global cyberscam operations, especially in border regions.
According to a September 2025 OHCHR report from September 2025 between the coup and 20 August 2025 29,560 political arrests had been verified with more than 22,000 people still detained, many without fair trial guarantees in military-controlled court
credible sources had documented the arrest of nearly 26,000 people on political grounds. 6,231 individuals had been killed by the military since February 2021 as of January-February 2025, accordin to OHCHR.
A large number of Rohingya continue to flee to safer countries, often taking immense risks, including dangerous sea crossings.
In May 2023, Cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh and Myanmar — one of the strongest cyclones ever to hit the region. Cyclone Mocha impacted more than 10 million people in both countries, including the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
In 2024, armed conflicts have increased across Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, as opposition to military rule grows. This has left Rohingya particularly vulnerable, with horrific reports of killings, torture, rape and the burning of villages. Moreover, since the end of June 2024, torrential monsoon rains and overflow of various rivers have submerged several states and regions, exacerbating already severe humanitarian needs and affecting an estimated 393,000 people.
In July 2024, Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar published a report stating that the military coup was a devastating setback for gender equality in Myanmar and has left women, girls, and LGBT people acutely vulnerable to discrimination, violence, and exploitation. On 10 July 2024, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution without a vote, in which the Council strongly condemned all violations and abuses of human rights in Myanmar, particularly following the military coup in February 2021.
In August 2024, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar released its Annual Report, saying that there is substantial evidence that brutal war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military have escalated at an alarming rate across the country.
An estimated 3,800 people have died as a result of the devastating earthquakes that struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025. The earthquakes of 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude struck Myanmar in the centre of the country northwest of Sagaing.
On 27 May 2025, in a briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk presented a report describing a country gripped by war, repression and deepening suffering. Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said. Humanitarian needs have soared, with nearly 22 million people in need of assistance and more than 3.5 million displaced by conflict.
On 12 August 2025, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (Mechanism) released its Annual Report. It has made important progress in collecting evidence of crimes against people detained by the Myanmar military authorities and in establishing the identity of perpetrators of these crimes. The crimes include torture and sexual violence.
How is the crisis affecting children?
Children bear the brunt of the crisis, with 6 million experiencing challenges related to displacement, interrupted healthcare and education, food insecurity, malnutrition, and protection risks like forced recruitment and mental distress. Rohingya children in Rakhine State face confinement due to violence, forced displacement, and limitations on freedom of movement.
Until conditions in Myanmar permit Rohingya families to return home with essential rights – safety from violence, citizenship, free movement, health, and education – they remain as refugees or internally displaced persons, residing in overcrowded and sometimes hazardous conditions.
UN Response to the crisis: UN Agencies involved and their role
Myanmar is fast becoming a forgotten crisis. The UN’s 2023 Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan received only about 1/3 of its required funding.
According to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for 2026 there are 16.2 million people in need in the country or over 45% of the population. 4.9 million people are targeted for assistance. The funding requirement amount to $890 million.
The required funding (2025) for Rohingya refugees amounts to $934.5 million. It targets 1.48 million (Rohingya refugees + host communities in Bangladesh). However the funding received (as of 2025) was only $491.8 millions or just over half of the required funding.
The funding is needed to help some 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and on the island of Bhasan Char and 346,000 from host communities with food, shelter, health care, access to drinkable water, protection services, education and livelihood opportunities and skills development.
Six UN agencies including the UN Migration Agency (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Women and the World Food Programme (WFP) implement Rohingya refugee response projects at refugee camps in Cox’Bazar and Bhasan Char following the allocation of over USD 9 million from the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in January 2023. They provide life-saving services to the Rohingya refugees staying in camps in Cox’s Bazar district and on the island of Bhasan Char and over 17,800 members of the host community in Ukhiya and Teknaf.
To learn more about how the UN Agencies help the Rohingya, go to the respective pages:
UNICEF – UNHCR – WFP – UNFPA – IOM – UN WOMEN
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, issued several statements urging coordinated international action that supports the heroic efforts of the people of Myanmar.