East Asia and the Pacific

Updated 12 May 2024, What is the Rohingya crisis? , When hundreds of thousands of terrified Rohingya refugees began flooding onto the beaches and paddy fields of southern Bangladesh in August 2017, it was the children who caught many people’s attention. As the refugees – almost 60 per cent of whom were children – poured across the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, they brought with them accounts…, How is the Rohingya crisis affecting children?, While basic services have been provided, children still face disease outbreaks, malnutrition, inadequate educational opportunities and the risks related to neglect, exploitation and violence including gender-based violence risks, child marriage and child labour. Meanwhile, annual cycles of heavy monsoon and cyclones pose substantial risks to both…, Crisis snapshot, What is UNICEF doing to help Rohingya children? , UNICEF has been on the ground in the refugee camps in Bangladesh from day one, and is still there for every Rohingya refugee child who needs clean water, health care, protection, nutritious food and education.  Working with the Government of Bangladesh and partners, UNICEF is helping provide water and sanitation, including the establishment of…, Recent Rohingya crisis news and features, What UNICEF is doing, Working with the government and partners, UNICEF is helping provide water and sanitation, including the establishment of diarrhoeal treatment centres, health services for children and pregnant women; support for access to quality education, including establishing learning centres; and is reaching children affected by violence, abuse and neglect…, Donate now to help save and change children’s lives, Results for Rohingya families, In 2023, UNICEF and partners:, More resources

NEW YORK, 22 October 2020 – “On behalf of UNICEF, we thank the organizers and donors who are shining a light on the challenges faced by Rohingya children and women. Inside and outside Myanmar. “Three years ago, in what was perhaps the darkest days of their young lives, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas fled Rakhine State to Cox’s Bazar. “Their…

Rohingya children and young people want more than survival – they want a hopeful future, too, For the last two years, more than 900,000 stateless Rohingya refugees living in the camps of the Cox’s Bazar district in southeast Bangladesh have focused on survival. New infrastructure and efforts aimed at providing the basics of health care, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene have improved conditions for the children and families who…, Crisis at a glance, Bangladesh. A child walks through a refugee camp. A young boy walks to a learning centre during the monsoon rains in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. What’s happening? Rohingya who fled persecution and violence in Myanmar starting in August 2017 found refuge among an already vulnerable population in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. As of August…, A desire for education, For children and young people, the protracted sense of limbo has awoken an intense desire for learning opportunities that prepare them for the future. UNICEF and its partners have ensured access to learning for 192,000 Rohingya children aged 4 to 14, who are enrolled in 2,167 learning centres. At the same time, the latest assessments show that…, Challenges ahead, Adolescents are the most excluded of all when it comes to learning, and even younger adolescents find little to do in the camp. This idleness and a lack of opportunity can be a recipe for trouble. Education for girls lags even further behind. In most cases, when girls reach puberty, they are withdrawn from school by their families. Surveys suggest…, Back to the drawing board, While the quality of learning for younger children needs strengthening, an entire adolescent curriculum needs to be established, offering foundational skills in literacy and numeracy alongside more practical vocational skills that can translate into opportunities in entrepreneurship. This task can only be achieved and taken to scale with the full…, How UNICEF is helping, When the huge influx of refugees began in 2017, UNICEF and partners responded by setting up about 2,000 learning centres in the camps. UNICEF and partners have developed around 100 adolescent clubs and established a network of youth centres that offer psychosocial support and classes in literacy, numeracy, life skills and vocational skills. By May…, A multi-pronged approach, However, a lack of education is only one of the obstacles children and families face in the Cox’s Bazar district. As the emergency response continues, it has become increasingly important to provide services that build bridges to the local community, protect children’s health and nutrition, and offer safe water and sanitation. UNICEF and partners…, Looking ahead, Two years after hundreds of Rohingya refugees began flooding into southern Bangladesh, the immense humanitarian effort led by the Government of Bangladesh has stabilized conditions in the Cox’s Bazar district. However, the task is by no means over. The basic day-to-day needs of the Rohingya are being met. But providing for their longer-term needs…, Read more

Building hope for a generation of Rohingya children