Nine years after the mass exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar, Bangladesh continues to shoulder a responsibility that was never meant to be permanent.
More than a million Rohingya remain dependent on humanitarian assistance, while the prospect of returning home remains frustratingly distant.
As the crisis creeps up to a decade, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the international response has fallen far short of what is required.
Bangladesh has provided shelter and humanitarian support despite the enormous economic, social, and environmental pressures imposed on host communities, but this generosity cannot be allowed to become an excuse for international inaction.
The Rohingya have a right to return to their homeland, and Bangladesh has a right to expect that Myanmar take responsibility for creating the conditions necessary for their safe, dignified, and sustainable return.
Recent developments surrounding verification offer little reason for complacency. Myanmar has verified more than 300,000 refugees as former residents of Rakhine State, but the process remains painfully limited compared to the scale of the population in Bangladesh.
Security concerns and the continuing conflict in Rakhine further underline why repatriation cannot simply mean sending people back into another cycle of insecurity.
What has long been needed is sustained international pressure on Myanmar. Major powers, regional organizations, and the United Nations must make accountability central to their engagement with Myanmar.
Furthermore, those responsible for the atrocities that drove the Rohingya from their homes must face meaningful consequences, while Myanmar must be pressed to recognize the rights, citizenship, and security of the Rohingya.
At the same time, humanitarian funding must not be allowed to decline. Until repatriation becomes possible, Bangladesh cannot be expected to carry the financial and social burden alone.
Nine years is far too long for a temporary refuge to become a permanent existence.
The priority must now be immediate, voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation -- and the international community must act with the urgency this crisis demands.