Rohingya crisis: New global initiative to resolve issue after 8 years

AFP file photo

Arakan Now | 14 August 2025

Eight years after the first wave of Rohingya refugees arrived in Bangladesh, a renewed international effort is being launched to address the protracted crisis. Three major conferences are planned over the next four months, hosted by the United Nations, Qatar, and Bangladesh, aiming to mobilize funding, strengthen political support, and facilitate the eventual return of Rohingyas to their homeland in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

According to officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the first of these gatherings, titled “Stakeholder Dialogue: Messages for High-Level Discussions on the Rohingya Situation,” will be held in Cox’s Bazar from 24–26 August. This will be followed by a high-level meeting in New York on 30 September, coinciding with the UN General Assembly, and a third international conference scheduled for Doha, Qatar, on 6 December.

The Rohingya influx into Bangladesh began on 25 August 2017, when hundreds of thousands fled military atrocities in Myanmar. Today, over 1.4 million Rohingyas remain in refugee camps, many living in dire conditions. Over time, global attention has waned due to major international events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and recent conflicts in the Middle East, while humanitarian aid has steadily declined.

On the eighth anniversary of the influx, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government, will attend the Cox’s Bazar conference as the chief guest. Several foreign ministers, UN envoys on the Rohingya issue, representatives from Bangladesh missions abroad, UN agencies, and Rohingya representatives from camps and overseas will also participate. Sources indicate that ministers from at least ten countries—including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, Turkey, Finland, Malaysia, Thailand, and Gambia—have been invited.

The three-day Cox’s Bazar conference will feature five working sessions on 24 and 25 August, focusing on humanitarian assistance and the potential return of Rohingyas to Rakhine. On 26 August, participants will visit refugee camps, while cultural programmes and exhibitions will highlight the experiences and resilience of the displaced communities.

Officials say that the Arakan Army’s control of Rakhine State has made the prospects for repatriation increasingly challenging, leaving many Rohingyas without hope of returning home. In this context, the interim government is seeking to re-engage the international community, securing both political and financial support from regions including the Middle East and ASEAN countries. A position paper developed at Cox’s Bazar will guide discussions in New York and Doha, forming the backbone of a coordinated international response.

Last year, during a high-level UN General Assembly discussion, Professor Yunus proposed an international conference bringing together key stakeholders to assess the situation and seek a forward-looking solution to the crisis. This series of conferences marks the first concrete effort since that proposal to reinvigorate global attention on one of the world’s longest-running refugee crises.

Source: Prothom Alo English