Image: A girl holds her baby sister at the entrance of a bamboo shelter in Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh. (Md. Dipu/CPI)
The Rohingya refugee crisis is one of the world’s most critical humanitarian emergencies. For decades, the Rohingya — a stateless Muslim minority from Myanmar — have faced persecution, displacement, and systemic denial of rights.
Today, more than one million Rohingya refugees live in Bangladesh, with hundreds of thousands more scattered across Asia. As international aid declines and risks increase, understanding the crisis is critical.
Here are seven key facts about the Rohingya crisis in 2025 — and how you can help.
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority who have lived for centuries in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Despite their long history, Myanmar’s 1982 Citizenship Law rendered most Rohingya stateless.
Denied citizenship, they face restrictions on education, health care, movement, and employment. Today, they represent the largest stateless population in the world — making them highly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Discrimination against the Rohingya has spanned decades, but the crisis dramatically escalated in August 2017. A large-scale outbreak of violence in Rakhine State forced more than 740,000 Rohingya people to flee across the border into Bangladesh in just a few weeks.
They joined hundreds of thousands already displaced by earlier waves of unrest. In the years since, continuing instability and conflict in Myanmar have driven even more Rohingya to seek safety elsewhere.
Bangladesh is the largest host country for Rohingya refugees, sheltering over one million people.
Other host countries include:
This displacement makes the Rohingya refugee crisis the largest outflow of Myanmar refugees in modern history.
Shrinking global aid is pushing camp conditions to the breaking point:
As resources dwindle, desperation grows — fueling tensions with host communities and forcing many Rohingya into dangerous migration routes.
With few safe pathways, Rohingya refugees increasingly attempt perilous sea crossings toward Malaysia and Indonesia.
Pushback policies in some countries force boats back to sea, leaving families stranded without rescue.
The Rohingya are among the most climate-vulnerable populations in the world:
For families already displaced, climate disasters bring renewed trauma year after year.
Although political solutions remain complex, there are practical ways to make a difference:
With over a million people trapped in statelessness and worsening conditions in Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Rohingya crisis in 2025 is at a tipping point.
A coordinated global response is urgently needed to prevent further tragedy, protect human dignity, and build a pathway toward peace and justice.
Community Partners International (CPI) works with Rohingya refugees and other vulnerable communities in Asia. Donate today to support CPI’s lifesaving work for the Rohingya and others in urgent need.
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