As the UN's head said, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are at risk of becoming the new Palestinians, according to a UN head who said they are trapped in a protracted and increasingly neglected crisis.
Olivier De Schutter, UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the nearly 1 million people living in overcrowded camps in Cox s Bazar should be given the right to work in their host country of Bangladesh, and that forcing them to rely on dwindling international support was not sustainable.
The refugees most of them fled brutal crackdowns by the Myanmar military in 2017 are fenced off from the local community and live in squalid and cramped shelters. The violence against Rohingya angered international outrage and led to a genocide case at the UN's top court, but international donors are now increasingly distracted by crises elsewhere, De Shutter said.
The World Food Programme has said it has been forced to reduce Rohingya refugees' food allowance to just $8.50 a month due to a lack of funding.
The high food-price inflation in recent times has led to a significant decrease in the calorie intake and quality of food for refugees. The rate of undernutrition and malnutrition for children will rise significantly and stunting will continue, De Schutter said.
But worst of all, the fact that these people rely completely on humanitarian aid is a waste of time for these people. They are not allowed to work. They are completely stuck, he said.
People spend their days in total idleness. Gender-based violence is escalating. Security in the camps is very problématique, with armed gangs controlling drug trafficking across the border of Myanmar, resulting in exchange of fire of gangs in the evening.
It is extremely worrying, and the state of desperation of the families should not be underestimated. People also face the imminent threat of extreme weather events caused by rules that limit them from building concrete structures, leaving them in bamboo and tarpaulin shelters. De Schutter said the camp is in a very vulnerable situation.
De Schutter said the Bangladesh government's fear that allowing people to work will encourage Rohingya to stay longer in the country, burdening public services and reducing job opportunities for others was misplaced. If they can work, they can pay taxes, they can start small businesses that can create employment opportunities for others, he said, adding that people had a right to livelihoods.
Bangladesh's government has criticized the international community for failing to press the Myanmar junta to enable Rohingya to return to their home, and has called for the lack of international funding to support refugees it has hosted.
A Rohingya delegation visited Myanmar earlier this month as part of a long-stalled effort to repatriate people. The hopes of returning have dipped even further after the Myanmar military coup in 2021.
Myanmar should be held accountable for creating the conditions that will allow safe repatriation under the right conditions. For the moment, no one believes that these conditions are met, De Schutter said.
He said the crisis had fallen below the radar, but added that more international attention was needed. But if these people do come out in 10 years time, they will be the new Palestinians.