At least 9 percent of women living in the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf have survived rape, while more than half of women and girls face constant risks related to protection, food insecurity, malnutrition, lack of education, and gender-based violence. The findings highlight the deepening gendered vulnerabilities within one of the world’s largest refugee settlements.
The data was presented on Wednesday (December 24) at a roundtable discussion organized by Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha (BNPS) in Cox’s Bazar city. According to the organization, around 55 percent of women and girls in the camps remain at high risk of multiple forms of violence and deprivation, reflecting the compounded impact of displacement, poverty, and prolonged insecurity.
BNPS noted that since 2017, more than 1.1 million Rohingya people have fled persecution in Myanmar and taken shelter in Bangladesh. They currently live across 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar, with women and girls making up over 52 percent of the refugee population. After more than eight years of hosting the refugees, the crisis has also significantly affected nearly 500,000 people in surrounding host communities, intensifying pressure on livelihoods, wages, natural resources, healthcare systems, and social cohesion.
The roundtable, titled Rights and Responsibilities of Rohingya Refugees and Local Communities for Peace and Security, was moderated by BNPS Deputy Director Nasrin Begum. Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Shamsuddouza Nayan said international funding for the Rohingya response has declined, worsening social protection gaps and disproportionately affecting women. Speakers emphasized that ensuring refugees’ rights to security, food, shelter, healthcare, education, and freedom from violence is a moral and legal obligation under international human rights frameworks—while host communities also urgently require sustainable development, environmental protection, and equitable access to public services.
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