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Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has warned that the plight of the Rohingyas will not end without bold action inside Myanmar, saying that the solution to the protracted crisis lies in Myanmar.

‘The most important, however, is not to forget that this crisis originates in Myanmar,’ he said while addressing the United Nations General Assembly high-level conference on Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar at the UN headquarters in New York in the United States on Tuesday.

He recalled that eight years ago, unspeakable violence by Myanmar’s military forced 7,50,000 Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh, while others remained displaced in Rakhine State.

Despite changes on the ground with the Arakan Army now controlling most of the state, the UNHCR chief said that their situation ‘had not improved’.

‘The Rohingyas live with the threat of arbitrary arrest and detention, with restricted access to healthcare and education. They cannot move freely. They are subjected to forced labour and forced recruitment. Their lives are defined everyday by racism and fear,’ he added.

Grandi expressed deep gratitude to Bangladesh, which now hosts nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and has received another 1,50,000 since renewed fighting in 2024.

‘Despite enormous challenges — Bangladesh continues to host them, setting an example to the rest of the world. Showing us that compassion is still possible at a time when indifference and inaction are, sadly, fast, fast becoming the norm. Showing that giving asylum to refugees saves lives,’ he said.

Grandi praised international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for providing over $1.25 billion in support, but stressed that the humanitarian response in Bangladesh ‘remained chronically underfunded’.

Without more resources, he warned of cuts to essential aid, leading to child malnutrition and more refugees risking their lives on dangerous sea journeys.

‘Unless further resources are forthcoming, despite the needs, we will be forced to make more cuts, while striving to minimise the risk of losing lives: children dying of malnutrition, or people dying at sea as more refugees embark on dangerous boat journeys,’ the UNHCR chief said.

Grandi urged the global community to step up with funding, resettlement opportunities, education and labour mobility pathways.

But he emphasised that humanitarian aid alone cannot resolve the crisis, ‘We cannot keep going down the path of inertia and somehow expect a resolution while an entire population continues to waste away.’

‘The recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission remain as relevant as ever and must inform our engagement towards the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their homes — as is their right — and with the full involvement, by the way, of refugees themselves,’ Grandi said, adding that but without taking bolder actions, the situation was unlikely to change.

He called on countries with influence to intensify engagement with both Myanmar’s de facto authorities and the Arakan Army to secure humanitarian access, re-establish confidence-building measures, and pursue just and durable solutions for forcibly displaced people of Myanmar.

Drawing lessons from other conflicts, he said, ‘It is possible, through sustained political engagement and innovative approaches, to alter the trajectory of conflicts that appear to be intractable.’

Grandi concluded with a call for principled and pragmatic action, ‘We have no other choice if we want to chart a new course for the people of Myanmar — one that is principled, pragmatic and forward-looking — and if we want to bring a lasting solution to the plight of the Rohingya people.’

‘UNHCR stands ready to support. We will continue to work with member states, regional bodies, civil society, and refugee-led organisations to raise resources and advance protection, resilience and solutions for all displaced people within and from Myanmar,’ he said.