On the eighth anniversary of the Rohingya crisis, Caritas Australia is calling for renewed international attention and support for over one million Rohingya refugees who remain in limbo in Bangladesh, with no clear path to return home.
A military attack beginning on the 25th of August 2017 saw the Rohingya people flee violence and persecution in Myanmar, seeking refuge in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. Kutupalong is now the world’s largest refugee camp, with its residents heavily reliant on humanitarian aid for survival. The situation has worsened in 2025 due to a sharp decline in global humanitarian funding.
Caritas Australia, through its long-standing partnership with Caritas Bangladesh, has been responding to the crisis since its onset. In 2025, Caritas Bangladesh aims to support over 145,000 Rohingya refugees and host community members through integrated programs in shelter, water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction, education, nutrition, protection, and livelihoods.
Caritas Australia partners in Myanmar are also assisting those impacted by ongoing instability through access to basic needs, protection services and healthcare.
“The Rohingya crisis is no longer front-page news, but the suffering continues,” said Sally Thomas, Humanitarian Manager at Caritas Australia. “After eight years, families are still living in overcrowded camps, facing dwindling resources, limited access to education and healthcare, and no certainty about their future.”
One of the many voices behind the statistics is Sakhina, a Rohingya mother who fled Myanmar with her children in 2017. “We were told to run, or we would be killed,” Sakhina recalls. “I didn’t want to leave. I had no choice.”
After a harrowing journey through forests and rivers, Sakhina and her family arrived in Bangladesh. But life in the camp brought new challenges — especially for her daughter Noor, who lives with a disability and struggled to access safe and dignified sanitation.
Thanks to a Caritas-supported program, Sakhina’s family now has access to an accessible latrine. But like over a million others, they remain in the camp with no clear future.
Caritas Australia joins the international community in urging governments and donors to remember the Rohingya people, and the Bangladeshi communities who attempt to support them amid their own challenges.
“We cannot allow this crisis to become invisible,” said Sally Thomas. “Many children in the camp have no memory of anything else and are unable to dream of a better future. It’s impossible to imagine what it is like for their parents to raise children in those conditions.”
“Supporting Caritas partners in the region is to afford people like Sakhina a beacon of hope – it can ensure families are safe, fed and well, and help sow the seeds of a better future through education.”
To support people like Sakhina donate to Caritas Australia’s Emergency Response Appeal by clicking the button below or calling 1800 024 413 toll free.
