The influx of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State continues, with over 118,000 new arrivals registered in Bangladesh over the past year, according to the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC).
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Sunday, RRRC Additional Secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said that as of May 1, registrations have been completed for 118,000 Rohingya who crossed the border and sought shelter in refugee camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf. He noted that most of these arrivals occurred during June and July last year.
He added that while food assistance is currently being provided to these newly arrived refugees, the government has yet to decide on housing allocations.
Many of the new arrivals have cited escalating armed conflict between the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) as a key reason for fleeing. They report that Rakhine State is experiencing severe food and medicine shortages, making survival increasingly difficult.
The growing number of refugees adds pressure to Bangladesh’s already overstretched resources, as it continues to host nearly a million Rohingya who fled earlier waves of persecution and violence in Myanmar.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
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