150,000 Rohingyas Fled to Bangladesh in 18 Months: UN

A Rohingya refugee holds his child while carrying relief material at a camp in Ukhiya, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has witnessed the largest influx of Rohingya refugees in 18 months, the United Nations reported on Friday.

According to the UN refugee agency, up to 150,000 Rohingyas have arrived at Cox’s Bazar refugee camps since early 2024.

“Targeted violence and persecution in Rakhine State, combined with ongoing conflict in Myanmar, continue to force thousands of Rohingya to seek refuge in Bangladesh,” UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said.

He added that this recent movement is the biggest since 2017, when around 750,000 Rohingyas fled deadly violence in Rakhine State.

Baloch praised Bangladesh for its long-standing generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees.

Before the latest arrivals, nearly one million Rohingyas—mostly Muslim and persecuted—were already living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, mainly after fleeing the 2017 military crackdown.

These camps, covering only 24 square kilometers (nine square miles), have become some of the most densely populated areas in the world, Baloch noted.