Nine years after the mass exodus of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, more than one million stateless people remain in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. The crisis is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain as humanitarian funding declines; refugee numbers grow and living conditions deteriorate. In this discussion, UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, Ivo Freisen, says hope is fading as desperation grows, with about 95 percent of mainly Muslim Rohingya refugees relying fully or largely on humanitarian assistance.
He warns that limited education and opportunities are pushing some young Rohingya to risk dangerous sea journeys in search of a better life. Freijsen says a lasting solution depends on creating conditions for a safe, voluntary and sustainable return to Myanmar, including addressing discrimination, citizenship and freedom of movement.
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