United Nations warns the Rohingya crisis has worsened eight years on

Eight years after the Rohingya’s forced displacement from Rakhine State in Myanmar, the United Nations says the crisis facing them has worsened.

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) called for ending impunity in the violence against Rohingya people in Myanmar.

“Ending impunity and ensuring the Rohingya’s rights to security, citizenship, and equality are essential for breaking the cycle of violence,” said OHCHR spokesperson, Jeremy Laurence.

A million people from the Muslim minority group fled a military offensive launched on 25 August 2017, a campaign that UN investigators describe as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

The Myanmar military described the operation as a legitimate counter-terrorism campaign in response to attacks by Muslim militants.

More than a million Rohingya crossed over into Bangladesh where they continue to live in squalid camps with little prospect of returning home, and are mostly denied citizenship and other rights.

The UN says since late 2023, as fighting escalates between the ruling junta’s troops and the Arakan Army, an ethic militia, more people are fleeing Rakhine State.

“Both the military and the Arakan Army have committed and continue to commit serious atrocity crimes against the Rohingya with impunity — in flagrant violation of international law,” Laurence said.

With international funding drying up and the sharp rise in arrivals in Bangladesh, funding for the camps has been cut.

“Amidst a global funding crisis, Rohingya in both Myanmar and Bangladesh are enduring dire conditions compounded by drastic cuts to food assistance,” said Laurence.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says it needs about $256 million to support the displaced Rohingya this year, but it has only received commitments for about 38 per cent of that.

“We implore the international community to step up support for the Rohingya by increasing humanitarian funding to secure access to basic needs and essential services,” he said.

The UN is calling for it to support the international accountability processes and the determination of a lasting solution to the crisis.