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Repatriation of the 1.2 million Rohingya in Bangladesh has been an important topic in international dialogues. However, the outbreak of the Ukraine war has diverted Western attention
Published : 25 Aug 2023, 01:56 AM
Silhouetted against the roaring flames that consumed their homes, members of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority group embarked on a perilous journey across the Naf River to escape death. As they reached the shores of Bangladesh, their plight reverberated around the world.
Six years on, the uncertainty shrouding their lives has morphed into hardship and despair. Despite Bangladesh's efforts and Myanmar's promises, not a single Rohingya has returned home.
Over a million Rohingya currently reside in densely populated refugee camps on the country's south coast, with dwindling hopes of resuming a normal life.
The Bangladesh government has flagged the threats posed to regional stability and the local environment posed by the forcibly-displaced population due to their increased involvement in criminal activities.
Although the repatriation of the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees remains a hot topic internationally, distractions such as the Ukraine war have diverted Western attention and resources. Consequently, humanitarian aid for these refugees has diminished, prompting even the UN's World Food Programme to slash its food distributions.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen highlighted the 'awkward predicament' facing Bangladesh in relation to the Rohingya, appealing for global cooperation to facilitate their repatriation.
Aug 25 marks the sixth anniversary of the Rohingya's mass exodus to Bangladesh in the face of the Myanmar military's atrocities. Cox’s Bazar, having hosted a significant number of these refugees for half a decade, finds itself at a crossroads.
The Myanmar military's violent campaign against the Rohingya in Rakhine State started on Aug 25, 2017. It drove 750,000 members of the community into Cox’s Bazar's Ukhiya and Teknaf, in addition to estimated 400,000 Rohingya that had already taken refuge there.
At the time, the UN had labelled the acts against the Rohingya as a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing'. This year, the United States termed it as ‘genocide.’
Bangladesh opened its doors to the Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, and the country became their sanctuary, with many settling in vast tracts of Cox’s Bazar and Ukhiya, living in makeshift homes. Ukhiya's Kutupalong emerged as the world's largest refugee camp, garnering significant international attention.
Following global pressure, the Aung San Suu Kyi-led government in Myanmar agreed to take back the Rohingya in late 2017, formalising the decision through a bilateral agreement with Bangladesh.
However, efforts to send the refugees back fell flat twice in 2019, as the Rohingya outright refused to return. They pointed to the lack of a safe, dignified and sustainable environment for their return to the violence-ravaged Rakhine State, while the country's government continued to deny them citizenship rights.
The global spotlight shifted from the Rohingya crisis when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the subsequent military coup in Myanmar in 2021 further hampered repatriation efforts.
Currently, Myanmar's military government is preoccupied with its internal politics, and the Rohingya issue has slipped down the international agenda.
Hopes of sending the refugees back home were rekindled before the coup as China spearheaded a tripartite meeting to expedite the Rohingya's return. However, the endeavour also proved unfruitful, stalling repatriation plans.
ELUSIVE REPATRIATION
Bangladesh believes that the international community hasn't sufficiently pressured Myanmar over the Rohingya's repatriation -- an issue Dhaka has always prioritised.
After the tripartite initiative, some Rohingya underwent identity verification for repatriation. Bangladesh submitted a list of over 800,000 Rohingya to Myanmar, and 1,140 made the preliminary shortlist under the pilot repatriation project, according to the office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner.
Myanmar eventually selected 711 people for repatriation but raised concerns over the remaining 429. In March, a Myanmar delegation visited Teknaf to scrutinise their details.
Recently, a team of Rohingya representatives visited Myanmar's Rakhine to assess the situation and expressed their willingness to return.
According to a foreign ministry official, the pilot project under the tripartite initiative has made progress. Bangladesh is keen to expedite the process.
INTERNATIONAL PRIORITIES: DEMOCRACY OVER REPATRIATION?
Foreign Minister Momen expressed his frustration at the faltering repatriation process. He highlighted the mutual willingness of both countries to repatriate the Rohingya, but indicated that the international community is apprehensive due to Myanmar's current non-democratic state.
"We're stuck in a situation where not a single Rohingya has gone home. But the good thing is that we want to send them back and Myanmar wants to take them. And the Rohingya want to go back because they have a future in their country."
Momen also questioned the motives of international organisations potentially obstructing the Rohingya repatriation process, hinting at a possible 'hidden agenda'.
“We want to repatriate the Rohingya. But international organisations, in particular, are very reluctant. They say that sending the Rohingya back won't be the right thing to do as there is no democracy in their homeland."
He added that the deteriorating conditions in the camps is lead to increased violence, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and now, arms smuggling.
'DIGNIFIED RETURN' IS IMPERATIVE: UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on the international community to ensure the Rohingya's 'dignified and sustainable return' to Myanmar. They emphasise that their return should be voluntary, safe, and well-supported, advocating for unrestricted access to Rakhine State to oversee and support these returns.
“Many Rohingya refugees say they want to return to Myanmar but only when it is safe for them to do so voluntarily; and the international community must now renew its efforts to make that possible,” the UNHCR said.
“While the UN remains ready to support a sustainable return of refugees, it is crucial that UNHCR and partners are provided unimpeded access to Rakhine State in Myanmar, so they can assist and monitor returns.”
The agency stressed the collective goal of ensuring that the Rohingya return to their preferred villages, securing their right to movement, registration, legitimate citizenship, access to services, and economic opportunities, allowing them to begin anew.
FUNDING SHORTFALLS IMPACTING AID
Since 2017, the UN-led Joint Response Plan (JRP) has managed funding for the Rohingya refugees. The UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator are part of the group.
When the Rohingya influx began in August 2017, the JRP fixed the expenses of $434 million for four months. At least 73 percent of it, or $317 million, was funded by donors.
In August 2017, when the Rohingya influx started, the JRP estimated costs at $434 million for a four-month period. Donors funded at least 73% of this amount, totalling $317 million.
Until now, four out of the six JRP initiatives have received over 72 percent of their funds. However, in 2020, the figure dropped to below 60 percent due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2022, the JRP requested $881 million in funds but only secured $558 million, amounting to 63.4 percent of the total figure.
In the first eight months of this year, the JRP received a mere $268 million in humanitarian aid, a significant drop from its requirement of $877.9 million. This amount represents just 29.80 percent of the total needed.
Due to funding shortages, the World Food Programme reduced food rations for residents of the Rohingya camps
In March, the allocation for providing food to Rohingya camp residents was reduced from $12 to $10 per person. This amount was further decreased to $8 per person, according to Foreign Minister Momen.
“Steep declines in funding are forcing humanitarian actors to focus on only the most critical of humanitarian needs,” said UNHCR.
This has resulted in a decrease in food assistance for the first time, sparking concerns about potential consequences, including increased rates of malnutrition, child labour, and gender-based violence.
“In Bangladesh, funding shortfalls are already adversely affecting the well-being of nearly one million Rohingya refugees. Any further cuts to the Rohingya response will severely impact access to food, shelter materials, cooking fuels, sanitation facilities, and livelihood activities,” the UNHCR said.
The agency appealed to the international community for assistance and has encouraged stakeholders to support the Rohingya during the upcoming Global Refugee Forum.
Foreign Minister Abdul Momen said that the sharp decline in humanitarian aid has adversely affected food provisions for the Rohingya, even as the Bangladesh government's expenses escalate.
[Writing in English by Sabrina Karim Murshed; editing by Turaj Ahmad]
