This World Refugee Day marks nearly nine years since Bangladesh opened its borders in a landmark act of humanity, saving hundreds of thousands of Rohingya forced to flee relentless violence in Myanmar.
Over time, it’s easy to assume that the crisis has settled into a “protracted reality.” Yet in Cox's Bazar, we continue to meet families who have only recently crossed the border from Myanmar.
They arrive with stories of insecurity, violence, forced recruitment, extortion, and fear. This latest cycle of conflict differs from 2017, marked by fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and the Arakan Army since late 2023.
While all communities in Rakhine state are impacted, Rohingya are once again bearing the greatest consequences, forced from their homes and driven to make deadly journeys in search of safety.
Their journeys are a reminder that the violent conditions that drove the 2017 exodus remain painfully present.
As Bangladesh prepares to assume the presidency of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly under the leadership of Dr Khalilur Rahman, it has an opportunity for another landmark act of humanity -- reminiscent of 2017 -- by placing the protection needs of a violently persecuted minority at the centre.
Today, more than one million Rohingya refugees live in the camps of Cox's Bazar. Many have spent years in overcrowded shelters with limited opportunities to move freely, earn an income, or build a future.
Resilience has its limits
Hubaib: “On World Refugee Day, we, the people labeled as ‘refugees,’ remind the world that we are human beings. We deserve dignity, protection, and equal rights to rebuild our lives. I am tired of counting divisions among human beings with different unique words. We share the same humanity, the same blood, the same hopes, and the same capacity to dream.
“For years, global narratives have praised the "resilience" of the Rohingya. But after nearly a decade of confinement in overcrowded shelters, relying on this narrative feels increasingly unjust.
“It risks suggesting they can indefinitely endure the unendurable. What the world misinterprets as sustainable resilience is actually a tiring, costly will to survive, kept alive by parents fighting to educate their children and youth voluntarily teaching younger generations with no clear pathway forward.”
There is a growing disconnect between international rhetoric and lived reality.
The United Nations and other international actors rightly emphasize resilience and self-reliance as essential to preserving dignity and hope.
Yet nearly a decade into this crisis, most Rohingya refugees remain without meaningful opportunities to work, move freely, pursue higher education, or shape their own futures.
In the absence of concrete pathways and solutions, including for dignified and safe return to Myanmar; commitments to resilience and self-reliance risk becoming little more than empty promises.
A response under pressure
At the very moment, needs remain high and solutions remain far, support for the wider humanitarian response is under growing pressure, including financially.
Our medical teams continue to respond to infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, maternal health needs, and mental health concerns. In 2025, MSF teams provided 438,805 outpatient consultations and 118,929 emergency consultations. We also conducted 75,583 mental health and psychiatric consultations, supported 4,547 deliveries and provided 18,477 consultations for diabetes and treated 15,293 patients for Hepatitis C. MSF treated 3,515 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and 3,493 patients for violence related injuries.
Security incidents and violence remain a concern. The prospect of safe, voluntary, and dignified return remains distant while conflict continues in Rakhine State.
While we operate independently of the UN-led humanitarian funding system, we are acutely aware of the impact that funding reductions across the broader response could have on Rohingya refugees.
Our teams are already witnessing increasing pressure on essential services, including healthcare, water and sanitation, education, protection services, and food assistance.
These pressures are felt not only by Rohingya refugees, but also by the communities of Cox's Bazar that have lived alongside one of the world's largest refugee populations for nearly a decade.
Bangladesh played an important role in bringing the Rohingya crisis back to the global agenda through last year's high-level conference on Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar at the United Nations.
Through its UNGA presidency, Bangladesh has a renewed opportunity to insist on meaningful political action -- action that builds on, rather than undermines, the landmark act of humanity it extended to Rohingya people in 2017.
Elko Brummelman is Country Representative for MSF in Bangladesh, previously serving as MSF Representative in Cox’s Bazar since 2025. Muhammad Hubaib is a Rohingya refugee who fled to Bangladesh in 2017. He is part of MSF's team in the camps and also voluntarily teaches Rohingya youth. After completing BRAC University’s Refugee Higher Education Access Program (RhEAP) in 2024, he was selected for an online global degree at Bard College in 2025 studying political science.
