On World Refugee Day, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih called on countries around the world to reinforce their support for the nearly 42 million people who have been forced to leave their home countries due to conflict, violence, or persecution.
Salih emphasised the positive impact refugees have on the communities that host them, noting their roles as workers, students, neighbours, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
“Given the opportunity, they rebuild their lives and help strengthen the societies around them,” he said ahead of World Refugee Day, observed annually on 20 June.
Bangladesh at the heart of global refugee response
For Bangladesh, World Refugee Day serves as a reminder of one of the world’s largest and most prolonged refugee crises.
Nearly a decade after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar, around 1.3 million stateless Rohingya refugees continue to live in camps in southeastern Bangladesh.
Despite immense pressure on resources, Bangladesh has remained one of the world’s leading refugee-hosting nations, providing shelter and humanitarian access to displaced Rohingyas.
However, the situation is entering what the UN refugee agency describes as a “fragile phase.”
According to UNHCR, declining international funding, worsening camp conditions and limited livelihood opportunities are increasing the vulnerability of refugee families.
Most Rohingyas remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance, with only a small proportion able to earn income through cash-for-work programmes.
The agency warned that women, children, older persons, people with disabilities and approximately 150,000 newly arrived refugees who entered the camps since early 2024 are among the most vulnerable groups.
Bangladesh has renewed its call for the early repatriation of the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has called for stronger international action to protect civilians, uphold international humanitarian law and ensure sustained global support for the safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
She made the call while speaking at a high-level panel discussion of the 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Thursday, according to the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN.
Speaking at a UN briefing by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar on June 19, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury underscored that the Rohingya crisis originated in Myanmar and that its durable solution must also be found there.
He noted that hosting approximately 1.2 million Rohingyas for nearly a decade has placed significant social, economic, environmental and security burdens on Bangladesh.
Reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the crisis, the Permanent Representative urged the international community and key regional actors to intensify diplomatic efforts and engagement to facilitate the early repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also issued a message urging greater assistance for displaced people and the communities that have provided them refuge."UNB
