From last December to this October, a total of 136,640 new Rohingyas have taken refuge in Bangladesh, according to the latest report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The report states that as of September, the number of newly registered Rohingyas stood at 133,651. With the latest additions, the total number of registered Rohingyas in Bangladesh reached 1,168,398 by October 31.
UNHCR said that since the beginning of 2024, targeted violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State have killed thousands, prompting a renewed influx of Rohingya seeking safety in Bangladesh.
The report further noted that the influx intensified in late 2024 as conflict in Rakhine escalated sharply. Biometric registration of the new arrivals is currently underway.
According to population data, 52 percent of the Rohingya refugees are women and 48 percent are men. Among them, 78 percent are women and children, while about 12 percent are people with disabilities, single parents, the severely ill, unaccompanied minors, elderly individuals at risk, and others in need of protection.
UNHCR added that the new arrivals are joining those who fled Myanmar in several previous waves between 1990 and 2017, further increasing the total number of displaced Rohingyas living in Bangladesh.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
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