The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has reaffirmed the organisation’s steadfast commitment to supporting over one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as he concluded his four-day visit to the country on Sunday.
“Since the onset of the crisis, Bangladesh has shown remarkable generosity, with local communities sharing their limited resources with refugees,” Grandi stated during his visit, according to a UNHCR press release issued today.
The High Commissioner emphasised that the primary solution to this crisis remains the dignified, voluntary, safe, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
“Efforts to facilitate this by creating suitable conditions in their places of origin and fostering peaceful coexistence between communities must be intensified and supported,” he urged.
During his visit to the Kutupalong Rohingya camps near Cox’s Bazar, Grandi called on the international community to maintain sustained financial support for the displaced population.
“As time passes and no viable solution for Rohingya refugees is in sight, securing resources continues to be both a challenge and a priority,” he observed.
He cautioned against dwindling international support, warning that if funding declines sharply—an increasingly likely scenario—the significant efforts made by the Bangladeshi government, humanitarian agencies, and the Rohingyas themselves would be severely affected. This, he stressed, could put thousands at risk of hunger, disease, and insecurity.
While in Cox’s Bazar, the High Commissioner met with Rohingya refugees who had recently arrived at the camps after fleeing ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
He also engaged with community-based groups, including imams, female religious teachers, and a group of mothers concerned about violence within the camps.
“Supporting Bangladesh’s efforts to maintain security in the camps is crucial,” Grandi stated. “We must also continue assisting to the most vulnerable, particularly women who have survived violence, and help young people build skills and resilience.”
This marks Grandi’s sixth visit to Bangladesh.
His visit coincides with UNHCR’s collaboration with the Bangladeshi government and humanitarian partners to prepare the 2025 Joint Response Plan, which will outline the humanitarian needs of both Rohingya refugees and their host communities.
Funding has remained a persistent challenge in recent years, with previous response plans receiving inadequate financial backing.
“Nowhere is the life-saving role of humanitarian aid more evident than in the Cox’s Bazar camps,” Grandi reflected in a post on X following his visit.
